Tel Aviv: Sirens blared across northern and southern Israel on Friday as Iran launched another barrage of ballistic missiles, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and local media reports. This marks the latest escalation in a rapidly intensifying conflict between the two countries.

The missile attack comes just hours after the IDF confirmed striking dozens of sites in and around Tehran overnight, including what Israeli officials described as a facility involved in the "research and development of Iran's nuclear weapons project."

According to local media reports, medics are responding to reports of ballistic missiles impacts across the country.

"MDA medics and paramedics are providing medical treatment and are taking a 16-year-old boy to the hospital in serious condition, with shrapnel in his upper body, and a 54-year-old man in moderate condition with a shrapnel injury to his lower limbs," Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said in a statement.

A military official said that "approximately 20 missiles were launched towards Israel" in the latest attack.

Meanwhile, tensions continued to rise across the region. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for launching more than 100 "combat and suicide" drones toward Israel on Thursday, in what it called a retaliatory strike.

As conflict escalates on the ground, diplomatic efforts are gaining urgency. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets after Friday prayers in Tehran and other cities, chanting pro-government slogans and expressing support for the military’s actions against Israel, according to state media.

At the same time, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with top European diplomats in Geneva to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme. Ahead of the talks, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the need to “prioritise a return to negotiations” and reiterated Europe’s commitment to a diplomatic solution.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy echoed those sentiments, calling the coming weeks “a window to achieve a diplomatic solution.” Foreign ministers from France, Germany, Britain, and the European Union have all urged restraint and de-escalation.

Separately, Araghchi is expected to address the United Nations Human Rights Council, while the UN Security Council is set to hold a second emergency session on the conflict at Iran’s request, with backing from Russia, China, and Pakistan.