2024-04-19 01:55:11
Iran’s Fars news agency said Friday that explosions were heard near the airport in the central city of Isfahan and that the air defense system was activated in Isfahan province, while state television reported The State confirmed the “security” of nuclear installations.
US media quoted US officials as saying that Israel “carried out a strike” against Iran, which was denied by Iranian state media.
An Iranian official told Reuters that the explosions heard in Isfahan were the result of the activation of Iran’s air defense system.
The official added: “There was no missile attack on Iran.”
Iranian state media quoted a senior Iranian official as saying: “The noise that was heard in Isfahan overnight was caused by air defenses targeting a suspicious object. »
Iranian state television reported that nuclear sites in Isfahan province “suffered no damage”, after air defense systems were activated in Isfahan to deal with the suspected drones.
He added: “At around 00:30 GMT, 3 drones were detected in the sky of Isfahan, the air defense system was activated and the drones in the sky were destroyed.”
The Fars agency cited sources saying air defense systems had been activated to deal with “an object suspected of being a drone.”
Reuters also quoted Iranian Press TV as saying: “The situation in Isfahan, Iran, is normal and no explosions occurred on the ground.”
ABC News quoted a US official as saying that “Israeli missiles hit a site in Iran.”
As quoted CNN A US official said that “Israel carried out a strike inside Iran,” a move that threatens to plunge the region into deeper conflict, according to the network.
CBS cited two US military officials confirming that there had been “an Israeli missile strike on an Iranian site.”
Agence France-Presse quoted the Israeli military as saying that “there are currently no comments” on reports of explosions in Iran.
For its part, the newspaper reportsThe New York Times“, Israeli defense officials said Israel carried out a strike against Iran early Friday morning.
Three Iranian officials confirmed to the American newspaper that a strike hit a military air base near the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Friday, but they did not say who carried out the attack.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported Friday that nuclear facilities in Isfahan, central Iran, were “completely safe” after reports of explosions in the area.
The agency cited “reliable sources” as saying that “reports published in some foreign media about an incident at these facilities are incorrect.”
This comes at a time when Israel had already announced its intention to respond to the Iranian attack on its territory last weekend.
Iranian state media said flights over several cities had been suspended. Reuters cited Iran’s Mehr news agency as saying international flights were canceled at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport until 7 a.m. GMT.
ABC News reports that several flights were diverted over Iranian airspace over the weekend.
The Associated Press reported that flights around western Iran were diverted, after reports of explosions heard near Isfahan.
Flydubai announced in a statement that it had canceled its flights to the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Friday and returned flight FZ 1929 due to the airport closure.
According to the Iranian Mehr news agency, international flights to Imam Khomeini International Airport in Iran were canceled until 07:00 GMT, after reports of explosions in other parts of the country, according to Reuters reported.
Later, Tasnim news agency cited the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran confirming that flight restrictions at several airports had been lifted.
A “well-informed source” told Iranian Press TV on Friday that there had been no foreign attacks on Iranian cities, including Isfahan, where air defense systems were activated earlier on Friday to intercept drones suspects.
The UK’s Maritime Commercial Operations Authority said there was currently no indication that commercial vessels were the target of the alleged Israeli strike on Iran.
For its part, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade urged its citizens in Israel to “leave if it is safe to do so.”
The ministry said in a post on its account:The intelligent travelerOn the X platform, where the ministry publishes its travel recommendations, “there is a significant threat of military retaliation and terrorist attacks against Israel and Israeli interests throughout the region.”
She went on to say: “The security situation could deteriorate rapidly. We urge Australians in Israel or the occupied Palestinian territories to leave if it is safe to do so. »
The ministry warned that “military attacks could result in airspace closures, flight cancellations and diversions, and other travel disruptions.”
She expressed concern that Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport “could suspend operations due to growing security concerns, at any time and at short notice.”
A senior US official told the channel:CNN“Israel informed the United States on Thursday that it would respond to Iran in the coming days.
The official, whose identity was not revealed by the channel, explained that Washington “did not support the response.”
Israel is considering its response to Iranian airstrikes that targeted the country over the weekend, most of which were intercepted.
The attack came just hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in an interview with the American network that if Israel took further military action against it, the response would be “immediate and at the highest level “.
Tehran launched a direct attack on Israel, which it called “self-defense” after the destruction of its consulate headquarters in Damascus on April 1, in a strike it attributed to Israel.
The attack took place overnight Saturday and Sunday, when Tehran launched more than 300 ballistic, winged and drone missiles with a total payload of 85 tons. Israel said it was able to intercept almost all of them with the help of its allies. , causing only limited damage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his statements on Wednesday: “His country will do whatever is necessary to defend itself.”
For its part, Tehran reiterated its warning on Thursday that it would respond to any Israeli attack, particularly if it targeted its nuclear facilities.
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