19 April 2024 , 06:00
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Israel appears to have launched revenge strikes on Iran with possible drone attacks targeting sites - while Iran has fired air defense batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan
Iran has fired its air defense batteries in several provinces following reports of explosions as Israel has tonight retaliated against its enemy.
Fears of World War III are increasing tonight as the state-run IRNA news agency reports blasts have been heard and felt near the central Iranian city of Isfahan. The early Friday morning chaos has sparked fears Iran is now under attack in revenge for its unprecedented missile-and-drone strike on Israel - and of war breaking out across the region
People in the area reportedly heard the sounds of the explosions and the activation of the Iranian battery defence systems. A US official told ABC News the strikes came from Israel and were meant to target Iran. The retaliatory strike has not been officially confirmed by Israel.
An official hinted that drone attacks might have targeted certain sites, though this remains unconfirmed. The Israeli military has not provided any comments in response to inquiries. IRNA reported that the air defenses were triggered across multiple provinces, but did not specify what prompted the action. Meanwhile, residents reported hearing loud sounds throughout the region. Both the semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies also mentioned hearing blasts but did not provide further details. State television acknowledged the "loud noise" heard around the area.
Isfahan is a significant location, hosting an essential Iranian military airbase and facilities linked to the nation’s nuclear endeavors.
In the wake of these events, Dubai-based airlines Emirates and FlyDubai started rerouting flights away from western Iran around 4.30am local time. While they did not give a reason for the change, notices to pilots indicated that the airspace might have been temporarily closed.
Adding to the tension, Iranian state television issued an on-screen alert about a "loud noise" near Isfahan, offering no immediate explanation.
BREAKING: ISRAEL ARMY BOMBED AREAS NEAR ISFAHAN AND NATANZ WHICH CONTAINS IMPORTANT FACILITIES OF IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM pic.twitter.com/8WTvtqWkrL
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) April 19, 2024
According to Hossein Dalirian, the spokesperson for Iran’s civilian space program, a number of small "quadcopter" drones were shot down, as he stated on a social media platform. The details behind where or when this took place or whether it was related to the current crisis in Iran remains unclear.
Airsplace is closed closed around the city of Isfahan, a city that’s home to a major airbase for Iran’s military and is associated with the country’s nuclear program.
Iranian state-sanctioned media agency IRNA confirmed that the country’s air defence batteries were activated and fired on early Friday morning in several provinces, but IRNA did not elaborate on which ones or what specifically caused the batteries to fire as it remains unconfirmed what the cause of the explosions was.
The explosions reportedly hit Isfahan, a major city that’s also home to the country’s nuclear program about 215 miles (350km) south of Tehran ( Image: ABC News)
Commercial flights around western Iran were diverted from their routes early on Friday morning without explanation. Iranian-based Fars news agency claimed it was because "explosions" were heard over Isfahan, the city about 215 miles (350km) south of Tehran.
It was reported that Emirates and FlyDubai, two Dubai-based air carrier companies, were forced to fly around the region after warnings to aviators suggested the airspace had closed without further explanations offered. Flights to and from Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, another Iranian city, were reportedly suspended following the explosion reports.
Another report indicated that the airstrikes occurred near Isfahan’s international airport. It’s the city where the funeral processions for the slain generals killed in an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, were held.
Now, fears of World War III are mounting as war could escalate across the region, expanding the already dire conflict as other countries could find themselves dragged into the fray. Tensions have been increasing in the region since the April 1 airstrike and exploded after Iran retaliated with what has been described as an "unprecedented" drone attack featuring missiles on Israel within the past week.
Israel then vowed to enact its revenge for that strike — which it seems to have done with the latest missile attacks. The two countries are now close to experiencing all-out war as their game of deadly volleyball ramps up. Iranian officials have not yet offered comments on the strike.
Retired US Army General Mike Lyons told CNN: "I think they used manned aircraft in this operation to ensure their targeting was precise. They went after military targets. This sends a signal to Iran that we can strike that facility [Isfahan’s nuclear plant] if we want."
Former US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper issued a chilling warning about Iran’s potential retaliation. He told CNN: "I don’t think they [Iran] are going to respond [to Israel] in kind. But they are going to respond with a larger attack that, in their mind, would be larger than the first one."
The Iranian strike last weekend on Israel reportedly involved 300 "threats of various types," according to Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari. Approximately 99% of the strikes were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system, he said as he added that 170 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, were launched with over 120 ballistic missiles and over 30 cruise missiles were used to carry out the attack.
The attack has not been confirmed, however, and it’s still not officially known what caused the explosions, even as rumours from many state media organisations in Iran are blaming Israel for the strikes.