The direct military strike on Tuesday came after senior military commanders of the Revolutionary Guards Corps convinced the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that it was the only course of action if Iran wanted to appear strong, according to three Iranian officials.

President Joe Biden said Tuesday he directed the U.S. military to help Israel shoot down Iranian missiles -- an attack, Biden said, that appears to have been "defeated and ineffective." "This is testament to Israeli military capability and the U.

Iran's missile attack on Tuesday was serious and will have consequences, Israel's military spokesperson said, declining to specify how and when Israel would respond.