There were explosions in a part of Iran called Isfahan on Friday, according to Iran’s state media. US media quoted officials who said that Israel had done retaliatory strikes on its enemy.
State media reported that air defense systems were turned on over several cities in Iran after explosions were heard near Isfahan, according to the country’s official broadcaster.
Israel had said it would strike back after Iran shot hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel over the weekend. Most of them were stopped.
Iran’s Fars news agency said that they heard “three explosions” near the Shekari army airbase in the northwest of Isfahan province. Also, Iran’s space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian said “several” drones were shot down successfully.
Dalirian said on the social media platform X that there are no reports of a missile attack for now.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that nuclear facilities in Isfahan were “completely secure”, citing “reliable sources”.
ABC and CBS News said Israel carried out the strikes, quoting US officials. There was no immediate comment from the White House or Pentagon.
CNN quoted an official as saying the target of the Israeli attack was not nuclear.
The Israeli military told AFP: “We don’t have a comment at this time.”
– Flights suspended –
On the weekend, Iran did its first attack directly aimed at its enemy, Israel.
Israel, with help from its allies, stopped most of the 300 missiles and drones launched by Iran and had no deaths.
It did the attack as payback for an April 1 strike on its consulate in Damascus that was largely blamed on Israel.
Iran strongly supports the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Concerns of a big regional overflow from the Gaza war have increased since the Iran attack on Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has promised to destroy Hamas over its October 7 attack that started the Gaza war, has emphasized that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iran.
The United States, Israel’s main ally and military supplier, has made it clear that it would not join a counterattack on Iran, but revealed sanctions against people and groups involved in producing the drones used in the Iranian assault.
US President Joe Biden said Thursday, announcing the measures after the European Union said it would also sanction Iran’s drone program, “We are holding Iran accountable.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had warned that Tehran would make Israel “regret” any attack on the Islamic republic.
Flights were stopped across large areas of Iran on Friday.
According to Tehran’s official IRNA news agency, “Iran’s air defense has been activated in the skies of several provinces of the country.”
Mehr news agency reported that “flights to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, and airports in the west, northwest and southwest have been suspended.”
Tracking software showed commercial flights avoiding western Iran, including Isfahan, and skirting Tehran to the north and east.
The Dubai-based Emirates airline, which operated several of the planes, has not yet made a comment.
– Middle East 'on the edge' –
There were also explosions in southern Syria, according to a local activist group.
Rayan Maarouf, who runs the Suwayda24 anti-government website covering news from Sweida province in the south, stated that there were strikes on a Syrian army radar position.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation in the Middle East as grim, warning that escalating tensions over the war in Gaza and Iran's attack on Israel could lead to a "full-scale regional conflict."
Guterres told the Security Council that the Middle East is on the edge, with recent days showing a dangerous escalation in words and actions.
He also said that a single miscalculation, miscommunication, or mistake could result in an unimaginable full-scale regional conflict, urging all parties to show maximum restraint.
Following the reports of explosions, oil prices rose more than three percent in early Asian trade on Friday.
By Agence France-Presse
