Operation Rision Lion vs Operation True Promise 3: Iran fires more missiles; Israel continues strikes - Key developments

Iran and Israel unleashed fresh wave of attacks on each other on Sunday, following Israel's Operation Rising Lion in Iran and the retaliatory missile strikes by the latter on Israeli cities.Also Read | Nuclear sites hit, oil depot targeted: Israel-Iran trade heavy blows; key detailsFrom the Israeli side, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an "extensive series of strikes" on targets related to Iran’s nuclear weapons project. The IDF also intercepted several Iranian drones, and sirens rang out in multiple cities across the Jewish State.

Iran, on the other hand, began the "next phase" of its Operation True Promise 3, which was its response to the rival's Operation Rising Lion, under which the IDF hit Tehran's nuclear facilities.The crisis began on Thursday night, when, in a sweeping and highly coordinated attack, 200 IDF fighter jets struck deep inside the Islamic Republic. Key targets included parts of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile production sites, and command centres. The strikes also killed top commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, and the country's nuclear scientists.Israel's 'extensive strikes' on targets in Tehran; sirens across IsraelIn fresh strikes, the IDF targeted Iran's defense ministry headquarters, the headquarters of the SPND nuclear project, as well as additional targets - which it did not identify.

According to the IDF, the additional targets "advanced the Iranian regime’s efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon and where the Iranian regime hid its nuclear archive."

'Next phase' of Iran's Operation True Promise 3Iran launched the "next phase" of True Promise 3, its retaliatory operation under which it responded with a salvo of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israeli territory, causing significant damage in cities such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, on Friday night.

The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the retaliatory attacks."Using a combination of precision-guided and smart systems, Iran targeted military centres and airbases that served as the source of the criminal aggression against our country," an IRGC statement read.US steps in to help Israel The United States stepped in to assist its ally after Iranian missiles breached Israel's famed Iron Dome air defense system, US officials told news agency The Associated Press.American air defense systems and Navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles Tehran launched in response to Operation Rising Lion.The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defense systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defense systems in the region, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.UK to move fighter jets to Middle EastThe United Kingdom is deploying fighter jets and other "assets" to the Middle East amid the escalating conflict, its Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Saturday."We are moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support," AFP quoted Starmer as saying. The British premier was addressing reporters travelling with him on his plane to Canada for the G7 Summit.He added that he had spoken with both Donald Trump and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu on the crisis.