US Navy warships fired interceptors at Iranian missiles targeting Israel

• US Navy warships fired interceptors at Iranian missiles that were targeting Israel on Tuesday.
• The engagement came amid a massive Iranian retaliatory attack against Israel.
• It's the second time in six months that US forces defended Israel from an Iranian missile attack.

US Navy warships fired interceptors at Iranian missiles that were targeting Israel on Tuesday as part of a massive retaliatory bombardment, marking the second time American forces have done so in less than six months.

The US defensive measures occurred as Iran fired around 180 missiles at targets in Israel. The Israeli military said it also intercepted "a large number" of the missiles as civilians sought protection in shelters.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the US military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defense Forces to help defend the country from the attack.

"US naval destroyers joined Israeli air-defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles," Sullivan told reporters at a briefing. "We do not know of any damage to aircraft or strategic military assets in Israel," he added, saying the attack "appears to have been defeated" and was "ineffective."

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said two destroyers — USS Bulkeley and USS Cole — fired around a dozen interceptors to help defend Israel from the Iranian ballistic missiles. It's unclear exactly how many projectiles were actually shot down.

A US defense official told Business Insider earlier that American forces on station in the Middle East "are currently defending against Iranian-launched missiles targeting Israel," adding that "our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect US forces operating in the region."

Tehran said that the missile attack on Israel was in retaliation for the killings of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

Iran vowed to retaliate against Israel after Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas' political wing, was assassinated in Tehran in July. The Israeli military has also targeted Iran-backed Hezbollah and killed Hassan Nasrallah, the militant group's leader, in an airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

Nasrallah's assassination, which came just days before Israel began a "limited" ground operation inside Lebanon, raised fears that the yearlong Middle East conflict could escalate, possibly bringing in the US and Iran.

A senior White House official warned prior to Iran's barrage that the US had seen indications that Tehran intended to "imminently" launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel. The official said US forces were prepared to help defend and that Iran would face "severe consequences" if it directly attacked Israel.

American warships and aircraft shot down Iranian missiles and drones in April during Tehran's unprecedented attack on Israel.

The US military has naval and airpower assets in position around the Middle East and in the Eastern Mediterranean — more than it did in the spring — and additional forces were on their way as of Tuesday.