Long-distance aircraft fired missiles that struck Iranian air force assets at Isfahan in central Iran early Friday morning, the Jerusalem Post has confirmed, with two Israeli defense officials and three Iranian officials confirming to The New York Times that Israel was involved.
This contradicts initial reports that the strike was carried out by long-range land-to-air attack missiles or drones, which Jerusalem also possesses.
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.
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.
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)
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.
مراسل السويداء 24: أصوات قوية لتحليق طيران حربي في الريف الجنوبي لمحافظة #السويداء جنوب #سوريا، سبقها بدقائق اصوات ثلاث انفجارات متتالية سمع دويها في مدينة السويداء والريف الغربي..يتبع.. pic.twitter.com/2bgRMFEpw7
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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