Dispatch from Tel Aviv: Living to the rhythm of the sirens

• Sirens could be heard throughout Tel Aviv on Saturday morning.
• Residents only had 60 to 90 seconds' warning, instead of the usual 10 to 15 minutes.
• The warnings came as Iran launched a counterattack following strikes from US and Israeli forces.

TEL AVIV, 7:13 a.m. Sirens can be heard. Rocket alert. A wailing tone settles over the city. Within seconds, the movement on the streets of this early Sabbath morning changes. Cars stop in the middle of intersections. Doors slam shut. Those who cannot reach a public shelter disappear into stairwells or underground parking garages.

Some still hold their phones in their hands, others carry shopping bags, or have come out of their apartments barefoot. Some have panic written across their faces — because normally the Home Command app warns ten to 15 minutes before a missile from Iran could reach Tel Aviv. But this morning, that advance warning did not come. From the moment the sirens sound, only 60 to at most 90 seconds remain.

Earlier that morning, Israel had carried out a large-scale military strike against targets in Iran. According to the Israeli government, it was a preemptive attack intended to weaken Iran's military and nuclear capabilities. Explosions were reported from Tehran as well as several other cities.

According to Israeli security sources, the targets included facilities belonging to the Revolutionary Guards as well as sites in the immediate vicinity of political power centers. As recently as Friday evening, Israeli security expert Sima Shine had told WELT: "We are very close to a war. But Israel is prepared."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the goal of the operation had been to eliminate an "existential threat." Israel had acted to prevent Iran from further expanding its military capabilities. Furthermore, military pressure could enable Iranians to "topple the regime."

U.S. authorities subsequently confirmed that American forces had participated — both from the air and from the sea. The Iranian leadership responded immediately. State media announced a "crushing response," stating that Israeli and American military bases would now be considered legitimate targets.

Shortly afterward, the counterattack began. According to the Israeli military, rockets and drones were fired toward Israel. Sirens wailed across several parts of the country, and millions of people were instructed to seek shelter. A state of emergency for the home front was activated. Airspace across the entire Middle East was temporarily closed, and civilian air traffic was drastically curtailed.

Concrete casualty figures from the current attacks can so far only be verified to a limited extent. Iranian sources report numerous dead and wounded as a result of the airstrikes, without publishing confirmed overall numbers.

Military analysts have said that Iran possesses the largest rocket arsenal in the Middle East and has deployed more than 1,500 projectiles in previous waves of attacks. Even highly advanced defense systems cannot guarantee complete protection under such circumstances. An Israeli security analyst was quoted in local media as saying: "This could be the beginning of a prolonged military exchange."

The attack strikes Iran at a moment of extraordinary domestic political instability. Since the end of last year, nationwide protests have been shaking the country. Human rights advocates speak of massive state violence against demonstrators.

HRANA, a U.S.-based human rights organization run by Iranians, has so far documented more than 7,000 confirmed deaths in connection with the protests. U.S. President Donald Trump recently stated that the Iranian regime had killed "at least 32,000 protesters." The figure is based on estimates from Iranian health officials.

In Israel, public sentiment oscillates between approval and growing concern. Many Israelis view the strike as a necessary measure against a potentially nuclear-armed Iran. At the same time, fears of regional escalation are growing — with possible attacks by Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, or Yemen.

Previous Iranian retaliatory strikes have shown that even Israel's multi-layered air defense system cannot entirely prevent impacts. Yet everyday life continues. Schools remain partially closed, reservists are being called up, and businesses are operating in emergency mode. Between sirens and all-clears, a fragile normalcy is taking shape.

Several countries called for immediate de-escalation. Diplomats warn that a direct military confrontation between Israel, Iran, and the United States could trigger a regional war. An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops are currently deployed in the broader region, supported by carrier strike groups — a military presence at its highest level in more than 20 years.

The coming days are considered critical: Will Iran expand its attacks? Will proxy militias such as Hezbollah in Lebanon actively enter the conflict? Will the U.S. strikes remain limited — or is an open war beginning?

For the people of Israel, all of this means above all one thing: living to the rhythm of the sirens. Many have already brought mattresses and water supplies into their shelters. No one knows when the next alarm will begin.

Constantin Schreiber is a reporter for the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network. The network publishes major stories from the Axel Springer network of publications, a worldwide group of news outlets that includes Business Insider.