Israel calls up nearly 100,000 reserve soldiers for Iran operation

The Israeli military on Sunday said it was calling up almost 100,000 reservists as part of its ongoing campaign of strikes against arch-foe Iran.

"The IDF is preparing to call up around 100,000 reservists and is raising its level of readiness on the various fronts as part of Operation 'Roaring Lion'," the military said in a statement, using the name Israel has given to its campaign against Iran which was launched in coordination with the United States on Saturday.

First US service members killed in operation against

Three members of the US military have been killed and five others wounded in the operation against Iran, the Pentagon said on Sunday, announcing the first American deaths in the US-Israeli campaign that killed the Islamic republic's supreme leader.

Iran launched a new round of retaliatory attacks across the Gulf on Sunday after vowing to avenge the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, defying a threat from President Donald Trump to strike with unprecedented force.

As crowds gathered in Tehran, with some grieving and others celebrating, explosions rang out and the Israeli military announced it was again striking targets in the heart of the capital.

"Three US service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury," the Pentagon said, adding several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions. "Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing.

"Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced a "large-scale" attack on Sunday, and blasts were heard in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with Israeli rescue services reporting at least nine people killed in the city of Beit Shemesh.

Agencies