Iran fired early Friday fired at drones believed to be involved in an Israeli attack near a significant air base and nuclear site close to the city of Isfahan.
Air defense systems were activated after hearing about explosions near the air base, As per The Associated Press.
As reported by The New York Times , television networks and authorities in both countries played down the importance of the strike. Israeli authorities stated it was a limited response aimed at preventing escalating tensions with Iran, especially because it did not cause substantial damage to military sites in Iran.
Iranian officials told the Times that the strike struck a military air base near Isfahan, but Brig. General Siavash Mihandoust, the senior military official in the city, stated on local television that any explosions heard on Friday were from Iran shooting down “flying objects.”
An Iranian official informed Reuters that there were no intentions to retaliate against Israel.
During a press conference in Capri, Italy, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated the U.S. has “not been involved in any offensive operations” when questioned about the suspected Israeli strikes, describing them as “reported events.”
Italy’s foreign minister also mentioned that the U.S. informed G7 ministers that it had been alerted “at the last minute” by Israel about the drones.
“But there was no sharing of the attack by the U.S. It was … mere information,” Antonio Tajani added.
The air base in Isfahan has been home to Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats, purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The facility in Iran operates three Chinese-supplied research reactors and handles fuel production for the country’s civilian nuclear program, as indicated by the AP.
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said there was “no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites” after the retaliatory drones from Israel.
The agency called for “extreme restraint from everybody” and noted that “nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts.” The agency said it is monitoring the situation very closely.
The agency has warned that Iran now holds enough enriched uranium to build several nuclear weapons, but U.S. authorities say it is not actively seeking to create a bomb, the AP noted.
Several flights were diverted around western Iran at around 4:30 a.m. local time on Friday, offering no explanation but aviators suggested the airspace may have been closed. Iran grounded commercial flights in Tehran and western and central regions, but it later restored normal flight service.
Tensions continue to be high in the region after Iran attacked Israel last weekend with approximately 300 ballistic and cruise missiles in addition to explosive drones. That attack was largely thwarted by Israel and allied defense systems but has raised concerns that the conflict will escalate.
It followed an Israeli airstrike on April 1 that demolished a building in Iran’s consulate in Damascus, resulting in the deaths of several top Iranian officers.
–Updated at 8:09 a.m.
