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Iran said its air defenses had opened fire at what seemed to be a limited attack over the central city of Isfahan on Friday, as fears grow of an all-out war with Israel.
An Iranian commander told the official IRNA news agency that the batteries had made an interception at about 4 a.m., explaining blasts heard to the northeast of the city.
“We have not had any damage or incidents,” said Brigadier General Siavash Mihandoost.
Iran’s state media played down the attack saying three “birds” had been shot down and insisting flights were resuming to normal. Hossein Dalirian, spokesperson for Iran’s National Center for Cyberspace, also said the attack was confined to three small “quadcopter” drones and insisted the country had not been struck from outside its borders.
The New York Times reported two Israeli officials confirming the strike, echoing other American media reports. Fears of an Israeli retaliation have been expected ever since Tehran bombarded Israel last Saturday night with around 300 missiles and drones, most of which were fended off by Israel and its allies.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no official comment when contacted by POLITICO. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s hard-right national security minister, appeared to confirm the attack on X, posting the word, “lame.” He has been calling for a massive strike on Iran.
Isfahan is a sensitive potential target area because of its proximity to Natanz, Iran’s major uranium enrichment facility. A senior Revolutionary Guards’ officer, Ahmad Haqtalab, had hinted on Thursday that Tehran could move to develop atomic warheads if Israel attacked its nuclear facilities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, however, stressed on Friday morning that all of Iran’s nuclear sites were undamaged.
Israel is also accused by Iran of having track record in the Isfahan area. Tehran accuses the Mossad spy service of carrying out a drone attack in January 2023 to attack a weapons factory that international observers suggested could be connected to the Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones being sent to Russia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week stressed his country would make its own decisions on retaliation amid lobbying from Western allies, including the U.S. and U.K., to show restraint.
The West fears a further escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, where Israel has been waging war on Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip since October last year.
The story has been updated.
