Sirens blare in Tel Aviv as Iran retaliates
Pakinomist Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst reports an ‘incredibly powerful explosion’ as Iran continues its ballistic fire on Israel, and says an Israeli official confirmed 40 top Iranian leaders were also killed.
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Former NCAA and Team USA basketball player Destiny Littleton shared footage of her experience fleeing Iranian counterattacks in Israel on Saturday.
Her documentary ended with a panicked scene of her and other civilians screaming in fear as drones flew overhead. Littleton, who won a national championship at South Carolina under coach Dawn Staley in 2022 and a gold medal for the United States in the 2017 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup, currently plays for Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel’s top division.
She posted footage on her Instagram on Saturday, updating followers as she fled to a local bomb shelter as Iranian counterstrikes began hitting Israel.
After the US and Israel carried out a round of military strikes on Iran, the country responded with ballistic missiles and drones targeting cities including Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem.
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Former South Carolina guard Destiny Littleton was in Israel when Iran launched a counterattack against the country, prompting her to seek shelter. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Littleton was almost caught in the crossfire.
Sirens could be heard in her video as she fled the shelter, and at one point she even pointed her camera at what appeared to be missiles flying through the air.
In one video, she struggled to find shelter as sirens blared in the background.
“I’m trying to find the safe room, but I can’t find it,” she said in a panicked voice as she crawled through an empty alley. “Jesus Christ, I don’t think it’s the right… I don’t think it’s the right way.”
As she walked down an outdoor stone staircase, bombs exploding in the distance could be heard in the background as she shouted, “Oh s—!”
Soon after, she posted a video announcing that she had left the shelter and was going to see a teammate after feeling “uncomfortable” in the shelter she had just found.
“The BOMME shelter I was just in couldn’t fit five people and that’s what I was like, ‘no, no, no, no,'” she said.
Littleton eventually reached her teammate’s high-rise, where she revealed that she had heard several recent explosions.
“I heard the booms all over the place,” she said, showing an overview of Jerusalem’s skyline.
An explosion caused by a projectile impact after Iran fired missiles into Israel after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday. (Reuters/Gideon Markowicz)
Then, in her final video of the night, Littleton appeared frantic and sweaty as she revealed explosions nearby.
“There’s no siren going right now, and yet there’s these things in the sky blowing up! I’m pretty sure they’re either missiles or drones! Either way, we’ve seen them blowing up in the sky, several of them, very very close to us in fact!” she exclaimed.
“I’m not really sure what it is… Jesus Christ.”
Littleton and those around her then became more frantic as other apparent drones appeared nearby.
“Over there! Over there! Over there! Over there! Over there!” she shouted before turning the camera around to show what appeared to be a drone flying near the building she was in. “I’m pretty sure it’s not a star.”
Just then five other drones entered the frame and an explosion was seen in the distance.
“I think it’s wild drones bro!”
The entire room then erupted into high panic as a drone flew over the building they were in as she panned the camera upwards to reveal the weapons.
“Oh s—!” Littleton shouted.
Another civilian nearby screamed, “Guys! Guys! What the f—!”
ISRAEL launches pre-emptive strike against Iran, says defense minister
Israeli firefighters work to put out a fire on a car at the site of a missile strike after Iran fired missiles into Israel, following Israeli and US attacks on Iran, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday. (Reuters/Tomer Appelbaum)
The drone went on to land and exploded far from her location, as seen in her footage.
Littleton and the group were later seen on the footage leaving the apartment and heading for a bunker as she appeared visibly rattled, sweaty and overwhelmed, massaging her head and sighing.
Littleton has not posted a follow-up post at the time of publication.
Staley said Saturday that the university is working to bring Littleton and two other players home amid the turmoil, along with WNBA veteran Tiffany Mitchell and former Phoenix Mercury forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan.
“Please pray for our @GamecockWBB @TiffMitch25 @2121Mikiah @dstnylttltn24 who is in a war zone in Israel,” her post said. “We are working on a plan to get home. Let’s pray for our loved ones to return home safely as soon as possible! Thank you in advance.”
The US joined Israel in launching strikes against Iran on Saturday morning. In video comments sent to Truth Social, Trump encouraged the Iranian people to take over their government once the US and Israel ended “major combat operations” in Iran.
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Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes targeting US sites throughout the Middle East. Pakinomist reported that approximately 40 missiles had landed in Israel.
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