Is this the start of the response? Loud explosions were reported in Iran on Friday, after Israel threatened to respond to Tehran’s attack on its territory last weekend.
>>> The latest information to read here.
Strong explosions in the center
Tehran reported three explosions that occurred at dawn on Friday near a military base in the center of the country, the official Fars agency reported. According to state television, these “strong explosions” were heard in the central province of Isfahan, and the causes are not yet known.
Iran immediately activated its air defense in several provinces. Drones have been shot down but there has been no missile attack “so far”, Iranian authorities said. According to the official Irna agency, based on information reported by its journalists, no major damage was reported.
Nuclear installations not affected
Central Iran is home to several of Iran’s known nuclear sites. Nuclear facilities based in the Isfahan region are “completely safe”, the Tasnim agency said.
“Important installations, in particular nuclear installations, are completely safe and no accidents have been reported there,” also underlined the official Iranian agency Irna. A finding confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency
Israeli and American reactions
“We have no comment at this time,” an Israeli army spokesperson told AFP about the explosions. Israel had warned it would retaliate after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones into Israeli territory over the weekend. This attack came following a raid against the Iranian consulate in Damascus, blamed on Israel.
The Israeli army also announced Friday morning that warning sirens had been activated in northern Israel.
The White House for its part also did not immediately comment. But NBC and CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter and a US official respectively, reported that Israel had warned Washington in advance of the strike, without the United States approving the operation or do not participate in its execution. “We have not approved the response,” a US official said, according to CNN.
Consequences
The Emirati airline Flydubai, for its part, canceled its flights to Iran on Friday after the strong explosions. Flights were suspended in Iran from Tehran and other cities on Friday, before resuming early in the morning.
Australia, for its part, urged its nationals to leave Israel and the Palestinian territories, due to a “strong threat of military reprisals and terrorist attacks”.