Iran said on Friday that it had “shot down” multiple drones and clarified that as of now, there hadn’t been any missile strikes on the country following reported explosions near Isfahan. But two US officials told agencies that Israel launched a retaliatory strike on Iran, raising fears of a widening conflict across the Middle East.
Several drones “have been successfully shot down by the country’s air defence, there are no reports of a missile attack for now,” Iran’s space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian said on X.
Dalirian added, “Until this moment, there has been no air attack from outside the borders to Isfahan or other parts of the country, and they have only made a failed and humiliating attempt to fly quadcopters, and the quadcopters have also been shot down.”
The Fars news agency said “three explosions” were heard near the Shekari army airbase near Isfahan.
Earlier in the day, according to a senior US official cited by ABC News, Israel conducted missile strikes against Tehran early on Friday morning local time, Reuters reported.
Iran’s air defence systems were activated in response to explosions near Isfahan’s airport and an army base, as reported by state media.
Also Read | Live updates on Iran-Israel tensions
This incident comes as tensions remain high in the wider Middle East after Iran’s unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel. Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles in a retaliatory strike after a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria.
Additionally, Syrian media reported attacks on Syrian Army locations in southern governorates of As-Suwayda and Daraa. The attacks targeted Syrian military radar sites between Qarda and Izraa in Daraa, southern Syria, according to As-Suwayda24.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the nation’s war cabinet have convened multiple times. Israel then vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented weekend attack, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of fighting in Gaza.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned Israel against taking any military actions targeting Iranian interests. He stated Iran has concluded its “defense and counteroffensive measures” and urged the international community to stop Israel from carrying out any military operations against Iran.
Regional tensions increased after Israel-Hamas war when Hamas carried out a cross-border attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. Israel responded with an offensive in Gaza that has caused widespread devastation and killed more than 33,900 people, according to local health officials.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Published: 19 Apr 2024, 08:48 AM IST