What do the Iranian reports say?
According to the Fars news agency, three explosions were heard last night near the Shekari military air base in the northwest of Isfahan province. “The air defense systems were activated in response to a suspicious object,” it said. A spokesman for Iran’s space agency said “several drones” had been successfully shot out of the sky.
After the attack, Iranian media reported that all facilities around Isfahan are safe, including the area’s major nuclear facilities. Army chief Siavosh Mihandoust also stated that “no damage” was caused.
What was the purpose?
That remains unclear, although an American official told CNN that no nuclear targets were targeted. According to Fars, a military radar was a possible target. Ghahjaworstan, where an explosion was heard, is close to Isfahan airport and an Iranian army base.
What does Israel say?
The Israeli army only stated that it “will not comment at this time” on the attack. Israel’s war cabinet has met several times this week without announcing any definitive action following Iranian attacks on Israel last weekend.
What does the United States say?
Israel’s allies, such as the United States, have called on the country to exercise restraint in an effort to prevent a regional war in the Middle East. “The United States was aware of the attack, but we did not support it,” another senior US official told CNN.
What happens now?
That also remains unclear. Reports of the explosions came hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel took further military action against Iran, the Iranian response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.” “If the Israeli regime commits such a grave mistake again, our response will be decisive, final and deplorable to them,” it said.
If this attack was the beginning and the end of the Israeli “response” to the Iranian attack last weekend, then that response was “small in both size and impact.” BBC writes this in a first, short analysis of the explosions. “How this will proceed depends on two things. Is this the end of Israel’s response? And will Iran decide to strike back?”
Regarding the latter, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has warned at least twice against “even the smallest attempt by Israel to attack Iran.” In that case, Iran would respond “fiercely and quickly.”
A brief overview
Air defense systems over several Iranian cities were activated after reports of explosions in Isfahan province. According to Iran’s Fars news agency, “three explosions” were heard on Friday morning near the Shekari army base in northwestern Isfahan province. An Iranian official said “several” drones were successfully shot out of the sky. The nuclear facilities in Isfahan were said to be ” completely safe,” reports the Iranian news agency Tasnim based on “reliable sources.” The Israeli army is currently making “no comment”. Flights in parts of Iran were temporarily suspended on Friday, but the flight restrictions have since been lifted.
How did we get here?
The Israeli war cabinet met for hours on Monday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, among others, stated afterwards that Israel would “respond” to the Iranian attack. — © afp
Tensions in the Middle East remain acute as Israel wages war in Gaza against the Palestinian (political and military) movement Hamas, an ally of Iran. Meanwhile, a decades-long shadow conflict between Israel and Iran erupted openly last weekend when Iran fired at least 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for a deadly Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
Although air defenses shot down most drones and missiles and caused little damage, US officials said on Monday that some form of Israeli counterattack was “virtually unavoidable.”