Reports of explosions in Iran and unverified accounts suggested Israel struck multiple Iranian locations, as per various news sources.
U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News, CNN, and ABC News that the attack was carried out by Israel in response to the recent Iran airstrikes on Israel. A U.S. official reportedly told CNN the targets of the attacks are not nuclear or civilian.
The semi-official Iranian Fars News Agency reported explosions near the city of Isfahan in central Iran. The state-run Iranian news agency Press TV also reported explosions in Isfahan.
Other unconfirmed reports indicate potential strikes near the cities of Daraa in Syria and Baghdad in Iraq.
Flights were being diverted around western Iran early Friday morning local time, according to the Associated Press.
It’s not clear what the immediate targets were, but Isfahan is home to Iranian nuclear facilities and sites.
Iran warned earlier on Thursday that the targeting of nuclear sites could result in the change of the nuclear “doctrine” in Tehran, which does not have nuclear weapons but possesses enriched uranium and holds the capacity to obtain them.
The Israeli strikes will likely inflame tensions even further in the Middle East, which is already embroiled in conflicts in Gaza and in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.
Israeli officials pledged earlier this week to respond to Iran, which sent a flurry of some 300 missiles and drones at Israel last weekend.
That attack, which was largely defeated by Israeli and allied defense systems, came in response to an alleged Israeli strike near the Iranian embassy in Syria that killed two high-ranking commanders.
The Biden administration pushed Israel not to respond to Iran, but Israeli officials were publicly arguing that such a brazen Iranian attack must be answered.
Iran, in turn, publicly warned that any Israeli attack would be met with a much harsher response than last weekend’s assault.
Updated at 11:05 pm EST.
