- Footage appears to show strikes hit the city of Isfahan, which hosts one of Iran’s nuclear facilities
- The counter-offensive reportedly struck at 5am local time. The extent of the damage is unclear
Israel has conducted airstrikes on a target in Iran, US officials say.
An official told ABC News that strikes hit a site in Iran, however it is unclear what exact target was hit or the extent of the damage.
Footage shared on social media appeared to show anti-aircraft fire striking over the city of Isfahan in central Iran, which hosts one of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Iranian news outlet FARS reported that the strikes hit the region at approximately 5am local time, and were located ‘near Isfahan Airport and the eighth hunting base of the Army Air Force.’
Iranian state news reported that the nation’s air defense systems have been activated in several provinces across the country.
It comes in response to Iran launching a barrage of hundreds of drones and rockets at Israel on Saturday, which was largely thwarted by Israel and its international allies.
The Biden administration had stressed the need for de-escalation from Israel following Saturday’s strikes, urging them to ‘take the win’ of the foiled Iranian attack.
Multiple airports in Iran have been closed following the Israeli strikes, and further unconfirmed explosions have reportedly hit Iraq and Syria.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio tweeted soon after reports of the strikes: ‘Israel has the ability to conduct strikes against targets inside Iran without entering Iranian air space from aircraft over Syrian and Iraqi airspace.’
Although the US military played a central role in halting Iran’s strikes on Saturday, President Biden said he made it ‘very clear’ to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had to act ‘carefully and strategically.’
Biden urged Netanyahu to ‘take the win’ of the derailed attack, and cautioned that the US would not participate in any Israeli counter-offensive.
The Israeli leader brushed off Biden’s warnings, insisting Israel would ‘make its own decisions’ in how to react to Iran’s attack.
The Iranian attack came in retaliation to a suspected Israeli strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria on April 2, which killed 13 people including two generals in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
As Israel maintained its plans to retaliate on Iran, a senior Iranian official warned that the nation would respond by starting production of nuclear weapons if Israel attacked its nuclear facilities.
Iran threatened to use ‘weapons it has never used’ if Israel struck, and indicated that it did not wish to continue escalating the conflict unless Israel fired back.
As the West urged for calmer heads to prevail in the Jewish state, Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee Abolfazl Amoue stated that Iran is prepared for a ‘painful response’ to the ‘slightest action.’
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also cautioned that Iran would strike back at the ‘maximum level’ if Israel fired.
‘In case the Israeli regime embarks on adventurism again and takes action against the interests of Iran, the next response from us will be immediate and at a maximum level,’ Amir-Abdollahian told CNN.
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.
