A still image of what Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) described as a live view of the city of Isfahan in the early morning hours of April 19, 2024 (Iran State Television (IRIB), via AFP)
- Israel appears to have attacked Iran early Friday, but details remain confusing and there was no official confirmation.
- Iran claimed the reported explosion was caused by its air defense systems, but Israel remained silent.
- The US appears to have given advance notice of the Israeli attack.
Israel launched an attack on mainland Iran on Friday, sources said, in the latest retaliation by the two countries' arch-rivals that threatens to erupt into the open and pull the region deeper into the conflict. The attack began.
Iranian media reported the explosion, but Iranian officials told Reuters the blast was caused by an air defense system. State media said three drones were shot down over the capital city of Isfahan.
Israel's leadership and military remained silent early Friday.
A person familiar with the situation told Reuters that the United States was notified ahead of the Israeli attack and that Iran had launched an unprecedented attack on Israel with a barrage of drones and missiles. That was a few days later. Most of them were shot down.
After the April 1 airstrike on the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus sparked a recent surge in violence, the U.S. government and other world powers urged Israel not to respond or to set up a large-scale firestorm. to ensure that further retaliation is limited to prevent further retaliation. It was blamed on Israel.
The attack came against the backdrop of Iran's support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 7 attack on Israel triggered Israel's invasion of Gaza.
“Three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan. Air defense systems activated and destroyed these drones in the sky,” Iranian state television reported just after midnight on Friday.
Air defense systems targeted a “suspicious object,” senior army commander Siavos Mihandoust said on state television.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had warned Israel before Friday's attack that Iran would respond “sternly” to any attack on Iranian territory.
Iran told the UN Security Council on Thursday that Israel “must prevent further military adventurism that is contrary to our interests” as the UN Secretary-General warned that the Middle East was at a “moment of greatest danger”. You won't be able to get it,” he said.
In Asian trade, stocks and bond yields fell, while safe-haven currencies, gold and oil rose. Brent futures rose as much as 4.2% before paring gains on concerns that supplies in the Middle East could be disrupted. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares fell 2% after falling as low as 2.6% early on, with U.S. stock futures down 1%.
Iranian state television said the nuclear facility where Iran works – which Tehran insists is peaceful but Western countries believe is aimed at producing weapons – was not damaged.
The Natanz nuclear facility, the center of Iran's uranium enrichment program, is located in Isfahan province.
According to Flightradar 24, Iran closed its airports in Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan after the attack, and banned flights from its western airspace for several hours after the attack. By 0445 GMT, the airport and airspace had reopened.
Israel's attack on Gaza began on October 7, when the Palestinian Islamic extremist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, according to an Israeli tally. Israeli military attacks have killed more than 33,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry.
Iranian-backed groups have expressed support for the Palestinians and launched attacks from Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq.