Israel carried out a counterstrike against Iran on Friday morning, with reports varying as to what was hit. This post will be updated as more information is confirmed.
As always, initial reports can be wrong, but it does seem clear from multiple sources that some sort of counterattack was carried out in a limited fashion.
The New York Times confirmed the Israeli retaliatory strike citing both Israeli and Iranian officials. “The Israeli military struck Iran early on Friday, according to two Israeli defense officials, in what appeared to be Israel’s first military response to Iran’s attack on Israel five days earlier,” the NYT reports. “Three Iranian officials, who accused Israel of the attack, confirmed that a strike had hit a military air base near the city of Isfahan, in central Iran, early on Friday.”
The Israeli response comes after Iran on Saturday night fired around 300 drones and missiles towards Israel, the biggest aerial attack on the Jewish States since the First Gulf War in 1991.
According to Frace24 TV channel, a ‘big explosion’ was reported in the Iranian city of Isfahan, home to several rogue nuclear weapons sites:
Iran’s state TV reported Friday that “big explosions” were heard near the central city of Isfahan, as a news agency said flights were suspended over the capital Tehran and other cities.”News sources are reporting hearing big explosions in Isfahan province,” state television said, adding that the cause was not immediately clear.Mehr news agency reported that “flights to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, and airports in the west, northwest and southwest have been suspended.
“Isfahan also is home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including its underground Natanz enrichment site, which has been repeatedly targeted by suspected Israeli sabotage attacks,” the Associated Press reported Friday.
Iranian state-run media confirmed strikes on several cities.
“Videos circulating on social media purportedly show the aftermath of the strikes, with air defense systems engaging and air raid sirens blaring near the Shahid Salami military base in Isfahan, Iran,” the BBC reports. “Iran’s Fars news agency says explosions have been heard near Isfahan international airport and an army base in Isfahan city, activating local air defence systems.”
Israel also targeted Iranian terrorists assets in Syria and Iraq. The retaliatory strike “reportedly extended to sites in southern Syria and Iraq,” the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS noted.
The U.S. was aware of the Israeli counterstrike, news reports indicate. “The United States received notification before Israel’s attack, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters, which came days after Iran launched an unprecedented strike,” the Reuters reported. “Washington and other global powers had pressed to Israel not to respond, or to ensure any further retaliation.”
According to the NBC News, the “U.S. was not involved in Israel’s strike in Iran, a source familiar with the situation confirmed.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officials did not comment of the strike, The Times of Israel reported Friday morning:
Israel’s military tells AFP that “we don’t have a comment at this time” when asked about reports of explosions and strikes in Iran and Syria.The Prime Minister’s Office refuses to confirm to The Times of Israel that Israel is behind explosions in Isfahan.
The IDF, on Telegram, issued several rocket alerts for the residents of northern Israel Friday morning, suggesting activities by the Iran-backed terror militia Hezbollah based in Lebanon.
While the Biden administration ‘distanced’ itself from the Israeli military response in the wake of the recent Iranian drone and missile strike, China along with some European and Arab leaders criticised Jerusalem’s retaliation.
“European leaders urge restraint after Iran explosion reports,” Germany’s state-owned DW News reported.
The British newspaper Telegraph covered the international reaction:
World leaders have called for “absolute restraint” after Israel escalated its conflict with Iran by launching strikes near a military base.Ursula von der Leyen, the chief of the European commission, said it is “absolutely necessary” that “all sides refrain from further action” after explosions were reported early this morning near Iran’s Isfahan air base, which sits close to a major nuclear facility.Antonio Tajani, the Italian foreign minister, called for “absolute de-escalation”, following Iranian reports it had shot down three drones in the area, while prime minister Rishi Sunak said he wants to see “calm heads prevail across the region”. (…)China voiced opposition to “any actions that further escalate tensions”, in an apparent criticism of Israel’s retaliatory strike.
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