Israel has carried out a series of limited strikes in Iran as a response to Tehran’s firing of missiles and drones at Israel over the weekend. The strikes targeted the Isfahan province, where the Natanz nuclear facility is located.
While explosions have been reported in the area, it is unclear if the facility has been hit. State television in Iran has reassured that all sites in the region are “fully safe.”
According to a well-placed military source, the Israeli strike was limited in scope. Sources familiar with the situation have confirmed that the United States was not involved and that there was pre-notification to the U.S. from the Israelis.
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However, Pentagon officials have not officially confirmed the strike, and both the White House and the National Security Council (NSC) have declined to comment on the unfolding situation.
In the wake of the strike, commercial flights began diverting their routes over western Iran without any explanation. One semiofficial news agency in Iran reported hearing “explosions” over the city of Isfahan.
The city is home to a major airbase for the Iranian military and is associated with its nuclear program. Dubai-based carriers Emirates and Flydubai also began diverting their flights around western Iran, suggesting that the airspace may have been closed.
Iran later announced the grounding of commercial flights in Tehran and across areas of its western and central regions.
Customers at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran were informed of the incident through loudspeakers, as shown in online videos. Iranian state television acknowledged a “loud noise” near Isfahan without providing immediate details.
The weekend attack by Iran on Israel marked a significant escalation of violence between the two nations. While they have been engaged in hostilities for decades, Iran has never directly attacked Israel, instead relying on proxy forces in Iraq, Lebanon, and other regions.
In this recent exchange, Iran retaliated for Israel’s deadly strike on Iran’s consulate earlier this month, which resulted in the deaths of a dozen people, including a top general. Israel’s limited strikes in Iran were a direct response to this attack.
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