Missiles and projectiles were seen in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early on Sunday as Tehran unleashed a fresh attack on Israel which in turn launched an expanded assault on Iran.

While nighttime offers obvious concealment, the choice to strike under the cover of darkness is rooted in far more than visibility.

Israel identified and struck missile launchers in Iran overnight, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday morning. "Over the past hour, the IAF completed an additional series of strikes on storage and missile launch infrastructure sties in western Iran," the IDF said in an update on the Telegram messaging app at about 8 a.m. in Israel.

Israel has no intention of deliberately harming the residents of Tehran, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said, walking back earlier comments he had made on Monday. "I wish to clarify the obvious: there is no intention to physically harm the residents of Tehran as the murderous dictator does to the residents of Israel,