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The conflict between Israel and Iran - once played out in a series of proxy wars - has escalated into a series of direct attacks upon one another.

Starting last Friday, explosions hit Tehran as Israel carried out a major attack on its nuclear capabilities. Iran quickly retaliated with a wave of missiles.

Here we plot a timeline of how the conflict has unfolded over the last four days...

It is "significant but not unexpected" that Iran is preparing to withdraw from a nuclear non-proliferation treaty, a former UK ambassador to the US has told Sky News.

Lord Darroch has just been speaking to Breakfast presenter Wilfred Frost about the news from Tehran (see 9.43am post).

Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said this morning that Iran's parliament was preparing a bill to leave the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) - an international agreement aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear technology and weapons.

Iran is party to it, but has developed nuclear technology - with some fearing it intends to take this further.

And recently, Iran was found to have breached its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years.

Lord Darroch says the latest news comes after "speculation for a few days they would do this".

He adds: "Some would say it's irrelevant because Iran's already been declared in breach of its NPT obligations with this enrichment program and the further plans they have on this.

"But actually, this is the main route for this NPT treaty for preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons to countries which don't have them.

"And it's a bad step if Iran does withdraw. It complicates any future deal with them on restraining their nuclear program."

IDF spokesman Effie Defrin begins his update after overnight attacks by saying Israel is "paying a price" for its attacks on Iran.

He confirms missiles struck the north and centre of Israel during Tehran's aerial attack last night.

"Unfortunately, eight civilians were killed and dozens were injured. This is the face of the Iranian regime," he says.

"We strike at nuclear capabilities and military capabilities that were supposed to annihilate the Israelis, but they are targeting civilians."

Third of Iran's missile launchers destroyed

Defrin says Israel used 50 fighter jets and other aircraft overnight to destroy more than 120 launchers and surface-to-surface missiles in Iran.

He also says Israel targeted 20 headquarters of the Iranian military and its elite Quds Forces, claiming "many of their capabilities have been completely annihilated".

Israel has now destroyed a third of Iran's stockpile of missile launchers, meaning it was only able to launch half of the missiles it wanted to last night.

We're hearing from Effie Defrin, spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces.

You can watch in the stream at the top of this page and we'll cover any key lines here.

Iran's foreign ministry says its parliament is preparing a bill to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The treaty, which came into force in 1970, aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and eventually achieve a nuclear-free world.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, a claim that Israel rejects.

Israel's Iron Dome defence system was penetrated overnight as Iran launched renewed airstrikes, with at least eight people killed and nearly 300 injured.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to have used a new attack method that caused the multi-layered defence system to target itself.

"The initiatives and capabilities used in this operation, despite the comprehensive support of the United States and Western powers and the possession of the most up-to-date and newest defence technology, led to the successful and maximum hitting of the missiles on the targets in the occupied territories," it said.

But what is the Iron Dome and how does it work?

The Iron Dome is Israel's highly prized air defence system.

It uses radar to detect and intercept aerial attacks targeting the country.

Mobile launchers and 'battle management centres'

It was developed by Israel's state-owned Rafael Advanced Defence Systems with US support.

It consists of a series of truck-towed mobile units placed throughout the country.

When their radars detect a threat, the information is sent to a "battle management centre" where military personnel analyse it, anticipating its path and impact point, and decide which missile launcher to use to intercept it.

Counter missiles are then fired directly at the threat - or near it - so the shrapnel can neutralise it.

The dome, known as Kippat Barzel in Hebrew, reacts within a matter of seconds and is manned 24 hours a day.

Originally, it was designed to protect cities and strategic sites against missiles with a range of 2.5 to 43 miles, but it is thought to have been expanded.

More than 90% effective

It has blocked more than 90% of rockets fired towards Israel, with a naval version deployed to protect ships and other assets in 2017.

This is at least partly why the number of Israeli deaths in the current fighting with Iran and Hamas has remained relatively low.

Soon after it began operating, it became the envy of other militaries.

Rafael says it has supplied at least two Iron Dome batteries to the US army, with Ukraine having made a similar request.

Saturation point unknown

Although extremely effective, it is not perfect.

Overnight, a number of cities in Israel were hit by Iranian strikes, leading to several deaths, with more people trapped under the rubble.

The dome also has a saturation point at which it would become overwhelmed, but this level is unknown.

When fighting between Hamas and Israel broke out on 7 October 2023, 3,000 rockets were fired from Gaza at once.

Israel also has medium and long-range defence systems, known as David's Sling, Patriot and Arrow.

Experts believe Israel has likely caused significant damage to Iran's nuclear capacity with its strikes on facilities across the country.

Strikes at the Natanz nuclear site, Iran's most significant nuclear enrichment facility, southeast of Tehran, began at just after 4am local time on Friday.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, says the above-ground area of the plant, which was being used to produce enriched uranium, has since been destroyed.

The former deputy director-general for safeguards at the International Atomic Energy Agency told the BBC that the facility in "will take at least years to recover".

Satellite imagery shows damage to different areas of the site, including the fuel enrichment plant in the north-west of the facility. 

"I think [the Fordow plant] is the same. It's in a very bad shape after these bombings," Olli Heinonen said.

A nuclear research centre in Isfahan, south of Natanz, was also hit.

Iran and Israel have exchanged attacks for a fourth night.

Iranian missiles hit the central cities of Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva, as well as Haifa in the north of Israel. Eight people are known to have been killed in the strikes overnight so far, with rescuers searching the rubble of destroyed buildings for survivors. Nearly 300 people have been taken to hospital.

This map shows where missiles fell and where people were killed and injured.

Iran far outweighs Israel in terms of military personnel, but does that matter in this conflict?

Our military analyst Michael Clarke breaks it all down in this must-watch video explainer.

"This war, of course, won't be about who has the most manpower," he says. "It will be about who has the best technology, especially in the air war."

In this, Israel is the clear winner, but Iran shouldn't be written off.

Both countries, Clarke warns, have been preparing for this conflict for a long time...

By James Sillars, business and economics reporter

Oil has started the week in Asia with another leap but is currently settling around at $75, 1% up on the close on Friday - when global prices jumped by up to 13% as the Israel-Iran conflict ramped up.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, settled 7% higher at $74 a barrel going into the weekend. There is no trading on Saturday or Sunday.

Analysts describe the market as volatile.

The big worry is that supplies via the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf become disrupted.

The shipments account for a fifth of global daily supplies.

Any kind of embargo could see prices ramp up towards $100, experts say.

Even at current levels, there will be price consequences in this country.

Not only will manufacturing costs ramp up in many UK factories, threatening more price pressures ahead, but fuel pump prices will go higher.

The old saying goes that fuel costs are quick to rise and slow to fall.

Recent lows of the past few weeks for petrol and diesel are living on borrowed time.