TEHRAN: Iran’s state media reported explosions in the central province of Isfahan on Friday, as US media quoted officials saying Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes on its arch-rival.
Air defence systems over several Iranian cities were activated, state media reported, after the country’s official broadcaster said explosions were heard near the city of Isfahan.
Israel had previously warned it would hit back after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel almost a week ago, in retaliation for a deadly strike — which Tehran blamed on its foe — that levelled Iran’s consular annex at its embassy in Syria.
Fears of a major regional spillover from the Gaza war have since soared.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported “three explosions” were heard near Qahjavarestan, near Isfahan airport and the 8th Shekari army airbase, while Iran’s space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian said “several” drones had been “successfully shot down”.
Dalirian said on social media platform X there were “no reports of a missile attack”.
“Reports indicate there was no major damage or large explosions caused by the impact of any air threat,” the official IRNA news agency said.
The senior military officer in Isfahan, Brigadier General Siavash Mihandoost, told state television that the loud sound that people had heard was caused by defence systems shooting at a target in the air, not an explosion on the ground.
Nuclear facilities in Isfahan were reported to be “completely secure”, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said.
Washington received advance notice of Israel’s reported strike, but did not endorse the operation or play any part in its execution, US media quoted officials as saying.
NBC and CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter and a US official, respectively, said Israel had provided Washington with pre-notification of the strike.
CNN quoted one official as stating the target was not a nuclear facility.
There was no immediate comment from the White House or Pentagon.
The Israeli military told AFP: “We don’t have a comment at this time.”
Overnight on April 13 Iran carried out its first attack to directly target Israel, its regional foe.
Israel, backed by its allies, intercepted most of the 300 missiles and drones launched by Iran, and suffered no deaths.
Iran launched its attack in retaliation for the April 1 strike on its consulate in Damascus. In that attack, seven of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards including two generals were killed.
Iran-backed groups have bolstered President Bashar al-Assad’s forces since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011.
Iran is also a key backer of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to destroy Hamas over its October 7 attack that started the Gaza war, has stressed that Israel “reserves the right to protect itself” against Iran. – AFP
