American forces aided the Israeli defense against Iran's attack in response to the Israeli targeting of Iran's nuclear facilities and senior officials.

A U.S. official confirmed American assistance to ABC News as rockets struck across Israel. The scope of the damage remains unclear, though Israel has stated that Iran launched fewer than 100 rockets in two salvos.

That assertion conflicts with other reports that Iran fired far more rockets in at least three salvos. Video footage has shown explosions in Tel Aviv, including several successful strikes.

The Iranian strikes came in the wake of the Israeli targeting of Iran's nuclear facilities in what it called a "pre-emptive" strike. The Israel Defense Forces have claimed that Iran was merely days away from developing a nuclear weapon.