Israel’s Magen David Adom first responders said they had “searched locations where reports were received; no casualties were located”.

An AFP journalist at the scene saw thick black smoke billowing into the sky from what appeared to be a burning warehouse at one of the locations near a motorway. Emergency crews were at the scene.

The explosions were heard after air raid sirens had been sounded in Tel Aviv.

Prior to the sirens the Israeli military said it had “identified missiles launched from Iran towards the territory of the State of Israel”.

It said that air defence systems were “operating to intercept the threat”.

The series of blasts could be heard clearly also by AFP journalists in Jerusalem, some 55 kilometres (around 35 miles) from Tel Aviv.