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Israel strikes Iran, defense officials confirm
A senior US official also confirmed the attack, stating that "We were not surprised."
By YONAH JEREMY BOB, TZVI JOFFRE, ZVIKA KLEIN
APRIL 19, 2024 03:52
Updated: APRIL 19, 2024 13:25
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Eyewitness footage shows what is said to be the moment of an explosion at a military industry factory in Isfahan, Iran, January 29, 2023 (illustrative)
(photo credit: WANA NEWS AGENCY/REUTERS)
Long-distance aircraft fired missiles that struck Iranian Air Force assets at Isfahan in central Iran early Friday morning, the Jerusalem Post has confirmed.
Meanwhile, two Israeli defense officials and three Iranian officials confirmed to The New York Times that Israel was involved.
The report came shortly after local sources reported explosions in Isfahan in central Iran, in the As-Suwayda Governorate of southern Syria, and in the Baghdad area and Babil Governorate of Iraq early Friday morning.
A US official then told CNN that the Iranian target was not nuclear. Videos from Isfahan appeared to show Iranian air defenses activated in the skies over the area.
A senior US official also confirmed this on Friday morning of the attack, stating, "We were not surprised, while also telling Walla that Israel informed the US in advance of the strike.
Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem April 14, 2024. (credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)Enlrage image
Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem April 14, 2024. (credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
Read more on the strike in Iran
•Tehran plays down Israeli attacks, signals no further retaliation
•Attack on Iran next to nuclear site sends message: We could have done worse here
•Israeli sources to Post: 'An eye for an eye'; not clear why Pentagon leaked info on attack
In January 2023, a mix of Western intelligence sources and foreign sources told the Jerusalem Post that despite Iranian claims to the contrary, a drone attack on Iran at Isfahan was a tremendous success.
Reports in Iran of the strike
The Iranian semi-official Fars News Agency reported on Friday that an explosion was heard in Qahjavarestan, east of Isfahan and near the Isfahan International Airport. Fars stressed that the cause of the explosion was unknown as of yet.
Fars and other Iranian news agencies reported that air defenses were seemingly activated near Isfahan in response to small drones.
Iranian air defenses were also activated in Tabriz in northwestern Iran on Friday morning after a suspicious object was spotted in the air, according to Fars.
According to Bloomberg News, Israeli officials notified the US on Thursday that they planned to launch a strike in the next 24-48 hours.
Reports of strikes on sites belonging to Syrian army
Syrian reports on Friday morning indicated airstrikes had also targeted sites belonging to the Syrian Army in the As-Suwayda and Daraa Governorates of southern Syria.
According to the local news site As-Suwayda24, the airstrikes targeted radar sites belonging to the Syrian military between Qarda and Izraa in Daraa in southern Syria.
Residents in Erbil and Mosul in Iraq reported hearing the sounds of fighter jets as well early Friday morning.
Flight trackers showed several flights headed for Iran had turned around and diverted from their planned routes, including several Emirati flights.
The Iranian Mehr News Agency reported that flights to Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz had been suspended as of Friday morning.
Shortly after the Israeli missile strikes were reported, Florida Senator Marco Rubio published a post on X reading, "Israel has the ability to conduct strikes against targets inside Iran without entering Iranian air space from aircraft over Syrian and Iraqi airspace."
Israeli media reported that several senior Israeli officials were present in the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Friday morning.
The explosions came as Israel promised to respond to a drone and missile attack conducted by Iran on Saturday night against Israel.
The Iranian attack came in response to an alleged Israeli airstrike that targeted a building next to the Iranian embassy in Damascus in which Mohammad Reza Zahedi - a senior IRGC commander in charge of Iran's operations in Syria and Lebanon - was killed.
Iranian officials had warned in recent days that any Israeli strike on Iran would be met with a strong and quick response.
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Situation normal after air defenses fire at 'suspicious objects' in Iran
Friday, 19 April 2024 2:33 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 19 April 2024 8:55 AM ]
Officials say Iran's air defense systems fired at suspicious objects in Isfahan and Tabriz early Friday.
The sound of explosions have been heard near the central Iranian city of Isfahan and Tabriz in the country's northwest after air defense systems fired at "suspicious objects" early Friday.
Officials said important facilities in the Isfahan province, especially nuclear facilities, are completely safe and no incidents have been reported.
"The sound was related to Isfahan's air defense systems firing at suspicious objects and we have not had any damage or accident," Brigadier Siavash Mihandoust, senior Army commander in Isfahan province, said Friday.
Space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian said several drones "have been successfully shot down by the country's air defense, and that there had been "no missile attack for now" on the country.
"No foreign aerial attack has been carried out so far against Isfahan or other areas of the country," he wrote in a post on his account on X on Friday morning.
There were just "failed and humiliated" efforts to fly quadcopters which were downed, Dalirian said.
Airports resume flights
The Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company said normal operations have resumed for flights at Iranian airports including Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran after temporary delays.
Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:
https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1MYxNopkDPzKw
https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ynJOyApOBXKR
