While the U.S. insists it is not involved in strikes on Iran, American officials have confirmed military forces have been helping to intercept Iranian missiles fired at Israel.

Israel and Iran exchange missile attacks for a third day; nuclear sites hit, death tolls rise, airspace shut, U.S. warns Tehran against retaliation.

All night people in Israel have been braced for more rockets. Just before 01:00 the Israeli military announced that it was striking missile sites in Iran, and instructed residents to move closer to shelters. Four hours later the response came – with what felt like the largest barrage so far of this conflict.

President Trump rejected an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior U.S. official told USA TODAY.

Spokane-born retired American diplomat Ryan Crocker anticipates the conflict between Israel and Iran only to escalate in the coming days.

The U.S. was represented at the UN Security Council's emergency session on Friday by State Department Senior Bureau Official McCoy Pitt, who said the U.S. was advised by Israel that the actions carried out against Iran overnight were "necessary for its self-defense."

The conflict, the most intense fighting between the two countries in decades, has been met in the United States with feelings of “frustration and helplessness,” as well as heartbreak.

The death toll grew Sunday as Israel and Iran exchanged missile attacks for a third consecutive day, with Israel warning that worse is to come.