The attack was "about twice as large in terms of the number of ballistic missiles that they launched," Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told journalists.

"Initial reports indicate that Israel was able to intercept the majority of incoming missiles and that there was minimal damage on the ground," Ryder said, noting that two American destroyers fired about a dozen interceptors as part of the defensive effort.

Iran said its latest attack on Israel was in response to the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in late July.

It followed another wave of drones and missiles launched by Iran in April in the wake of an air strike blamed on Israel that hit Tehran's diplomatic mission in Damascus.