On Thursday night, multiple reports of Israeli strikes against Iran began coming out of the Middle East, a sign that escalating tensions between the two nations may have tipped into full war.

Axios is reporting that "The Israeli Air Force conducted a strike in Iran on Thursday, according to two sources with knowledge of the operation. It's not yet clear what Israel is targeting, but explosions were reported in Tehran."

Why it matters: Israel is directly attacking its biggest and best-armed adversary, without clear backing from the U.S.

• President Trump publicly opposed an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear sites on Thursday, saying he still believed a nuclear deal was possible.

Yes, but: It's not clear whether Israel has ordered strikes on Iran's nuclear program, or whether the U.S. opposed this specific operation.

Driving the news: Sirens sounded across Israel on Thursday night. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a special state of emergency across the entire country.

• "Following the State of Israel's preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the state of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future," Katz said.

The U.S. previously told Israel it would not be directly participating in any strikes against Iran's nuclear program. However, the U.S. privately warned allies to prepare for a scenario where talks between the U.S. and Iran might collapse, and where Israel would strike Iran. Reports seem to confirm that this scenario has come to pass.

This is a developing story. RedState will be providing more details in this international event as they happen.