(The Hill) — Iran has launched a wave of drone strikes toward Israel, the White House and Israeli Defense Forces said Saturday, widening fears of a regional war in the Middle East.

The IDF on Saturday afternoon said in a Telegram post that Iran launched the drones from its country “a short while ago.”

A spokesperson for the National Security Council said President Biden was being regularly updated on the unfolding situation and would meet with his national security team at the White House.

NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the attack by Iran, which had been expected for days, “is likely to unfold over a number of hours.” 

“President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran,” Watson said in a statement.

The attacks come less than two weeks after an April 1 Israeli airstrike on an Iranian Embassy compound in Syria’s capital of Damascus that killed seven Iranian military advisers, including three senior members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

On Saturday afternoon, military officials announced the closure of schools and limiting of country-wide trips ahead of the expected strikes.

This is a developing story.