Israel has launched a strike against Iran with reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan.
State media said Iran fired its air defence systems early on Friday and commercial flights were grounded across parts of the country.
Middle East latest – follow live updates after reports of explosions
The country’s senior commander Siavosh Mihandoust said no damage has been caused.
The strike comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East region after Iran’s unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel.
Iranian state TV said three drones were “destroyed” over Isfahan shortly after midnight, but later said the situation in the city is normal and no ground explosions had occurred.
Sky News’ US partner NBC News reports Israel carried out an operation in Iran, citing a person familiar with the matter, with officials notifying US officials a response was coming.
Israel’s military has not commented, but had promised a response to Iran’s attack over the weekend.
A major airbase for the Iranian military is in Isfahan, where there were reports of blasts, as well as sites associated with its nuclear program.
Iranian state TV said its nuclear facilities remain unharmed, Reuters news agency reported.
Analysis: Israel retaliation appears to have been a carefully chosen response
Sky News’ military analyst Michael Clarke said Isfahan “would make sense” as a target as it’s home to one of the least sensitive nuclear sites.
“It’s a research site, about 3,000 or so scientists work there and there’s no evidence this was targeted on the nuclear site,” he added.
“But the fact that Isfahan is one of the cities that does quite a lot of nuclear work is also symbolically quite important, I think, if the Israelis are indicating that they’re not frightened to go after these sites.”
It’s over 1,000 miles to Isfahan from Israel, which suggests this was not a drone attack, Mr Clarke said, adding it was “almost certainly” led by Jericho missiles.
Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting around western Iran at about 4.30am local time.
They did not explain, though local warnings suggested the airspace may have been closed.
Tensions remain high in the Middle East after Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend, which came after Israel struck the Iranian embassy in Syria on 1 April.
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Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
