TEHRAN – Iran denies reports of an Israeli attack on its soil after explosions occurred in Isfahan.
An Iranian official informed Reuters on Friday that the sounds heard in Isfahan were due to air defense systems being activated, and no missile attack targeted the country.
Previously, an American media outlet, reported that Israeli missiles targeted a location in Iran. This occurred following Tehran’s retaliatory drone attack on Israel.
Iran’s Fars news agency mentioned an explosion at Isfahan’s central city airport, but the cause remained uncertain. In response to these events, Iran temporarily halted flights above the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran, as per state media announcements.
In Isfahan province, multiple Iranian nuclear facilities exist, with Natanz being the focal point of Iran’s uranium enrichment program. The Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran temporarily suspended operations, as per a notice to airmen on a US Federal Aviation Administration database.
Some Emirates and Flydubai flights, which were passing through Iranian airspace early on Friday, had to make unexpected, sharp turns to avoid the region, as displayed on the flight paths provided by the tracking website Flightradar24.
Background
Iran responded to an Israeli attack on its Syrian consulate in April, which resulted in the death of prominent Revolutionary Guards leaders. This event followed a series of confrontations between Israel and Iran’s regional allies, primarily stemming from the Gaza conflict.
On Thursday, Iran addressed the United Nations Security Council, demanding that Israel be restrained from engaging in any further military activities against their interests. Meanwhile, the U.N. secretary-general expressed concern over the current precarious state of the Middle East.
