TEHRAN/JERUSALEM: Israel has claimed responsibility for a series of overnight airstrikes targeting missile storage sites and strategic infrastructure across Iran, including a reported attempt to strike the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center—one of the country’s most sensitive nuclear facilities.
Qatari broadcaster reported that loud explosions were heard across Isfahan early Friday morning, prompting the activation of local air defense systems. The Isfahan facility, located in central Iran, is home to the country’s largest nuclear research complex.
A deputy governor of Isfahan province confirmed that multiple locations—including Isfahan city as well as the nearby towns of Linjan, Mubarakeh, and Shahreza—had come under what he called a “series of aerial attacks.” He noted that although the nuclear site was among the targets, “no hazardous materials were released.”
Iran’s state-run Press TV reported that an Israeli drone was shot down over the city of Kashan, also in central Iran, suggesting coordinated strikes across several regions.
In a rare public statement, the Israeli military acknowledged conducting “a series of precision strikes” aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile infrastructure and storage networks, though it did not directly address claims of an attack on the nuclear site.
Iranian authorities, meanwhile, stated that the assault had been effectively thwarted. Officials said that air defense systems intercepted multiple drones and that all nuclear facilities remained “secure and under full control.”
The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not yet issued a statement regarding the status of the Isfahan facility or the implications of the reported attack.
The overnight escalation comes just days after Tehran ruled out resuming stalled nuclear talks, citing what it called “continued military aggression” against its sovereignty. Israel has long opposed any international deal that would allow Iran to retain nuclear capabilities, which Tehran insists are for peaceful purposes.
Amid rising tensions, hundreds of U.S. citizens have reportedly left Iran in recent days via land crossings, according to a leaked U.S. State Department cable cited by Reuters. While most departed without issue, the report detailed “numerous” cases of delays and harassment, including the brief detention of two American nationals.
Separately, the Associated Press reported that the U.S. State Department evacuated 79 personnel and family members from its embassy in Israel on Friday, citing growing concerns over regional instability and potential retaliatory action.
