Iran secures nuclear sites after drone attack; Israel silent on involvement
Explosions over Iran. As reported by the media, Israel carried out an attack using "quadcopter" drones. Anti-aircraft defences were activated. Iranian media associated with the Revolutionary Guard reported that nuclear facilities are secured.
Early in the morning in Iran, there were reports of explosions. Israeli media informed about the attack, while an Iranian official in a conversation with Reuters rejected these claims. However, he admitted that the explosions occurred due to the work of the anti-aircraft defence, which was aimed at "suspicious objects" in the Isfahan region.
Defence was activated in several regions of Iran, including over Isfahan and Tabriz. Traffic at airports in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and other airports in the western part of the country was suspended. The authorities of the Khomeini airport in Tehran asked people to leave the building, resulting in all flights to this place being cancelled. At least eight planes were turned back over Iran.
The situation is currently calm. Air traffic is being restored, and life in cities where the attacks occurred is proceeding normally. Iranian media are keen to show, for example, recordings from industrial cameras and monitoring in Isfahan, where nothing disturbing is visible.
Nuclear facilities "safe"
In Isfahan, there is the main air base of the Iranian army, as well as facilities related to its nuclear program. Hossein Dalirian, a spokesman for the Iranian civilian space program, wrote on the X platform that several small "quadcopter" drones were shot down.
"They said we launched 500 kamikaze drones and missiles, and Israel became the target of the world's largest drone attack. Now they are responding to this operation with 3 such quadcopters, all three were shot down" - he wrote.
The use of such drones indicates that the attack was carried out from within Iran. In the past, the country has seen sabotage actions using unmanned aerial vehicles.
Tasnim, in turn, reported that the nuclear facilities in the Isfahan province are "completely safe". Meanwhile, three Iranian officials in a conversation with "The New York Times" admitted that a military base near Isfahan was hit.
The Iranian commander Siavosh Mihandoust told local television that the attack did not cause damage.
Iranian media also reported that Israel carried out attacks on military targets in Daraa in southern Syria. Explosions were also heard in the Babylon province in Iraq, but for now, it is unknown what caused this. Lebanese television Al-Mayadeen reported that drones were observed over Baghdad at night.
Israel does not comment
The Israeli military has not yet addressed the issue of the attack. The Prime Minister's office has not confirmed that Israel is behind the attacks.
U.S. officials told NBC News that the USA did not participate in the attack. At the same time, Israel was said to have warned Washington that it intended to attack in the coming days. The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem asked its employees to limit their travel.
Last Saturday, Iran attacked Israel. In retaliation for Israel's strike on a diplomatic facility in Damascus, which resulted in the death of seven Revolutionary Guards officers, the Iranian army used a total of over 300 rockets and drones.
