ISRAELI ‘SABOTAGE OPERATION’ HAS FAILED, IRAN SAYS
Tehran state media and US officials confirm retaliatory strike on country’s third-biggest city but reports in both nations play down severity
Iranian state media have confirmed an attack by Israel early yesterday and said the “sabotage” operation involving drones had failed.
Israel launched a retaliatory strike on Iran following last week’s missile and drone barrage from Tehran, according to two US officials, though media from both countries appeared to downplay the severity of the incident.
An explosion was heard early yesterday in Isfahan, Iran’s thirdbiggest city, Fars news agency reported. Nuclear facilities located there were safe, state television and the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said.
The Israeli government, which rarely comments on specific military actions linked to Iran, has not confirmed the strike.
Flights were suspended in Isfahan and the Iranian cities of Tehran and Shiraz, as well as airports across the country’s western borders, but those restrictions were soon eased.
The incident follows days of frantic diplomacy from the US and European nations in which they tried to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to respond too aggressively, if at all, to Saturday night’s Iranian attack. Their main concern is to avoid a wider war in a region already roiled by the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Isfahan is home to around 2 million people and several military bases and facilities. It is believed to have been one of several launch sites for Iran’s attack on Israel on Saturday night.
The New York Times reported a military airbase near Isfahan was struck.
Israel notified the US on Thursday it planned to retaliate in the next 24-48 hours, two American officials told Bloomberg. They asked not to be identified, discussing private conversations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday said the United States was committed to Israel’s security, adding, when asked about the latest strikes, that Washington had not been involved in any offensive operation.
Blinken, speaking after the G7 gathering in Italy, urged the rapid implementation of Israel’s humanitarian assistance commitments in Gaza, saying while there had been some important steps taken, more sustained results were needed.
The Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran yesterday for its attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said yesterday that “it is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East”, his spokesperson said.
“The secretary general condemns any act of retaliation and appeals to the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond,” Stephane Dujarric said.
Israel had vowed to retaliate against Iran for its barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles, the vast majority of which were destroyed before hitting their targets. While there was limited damage and no one was killed, Israel said it would send a message of weakness to Iran and its other enemies if it did not respond.
Iran said it was a justified reaction to a strike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1, which killed several Iranian officers and was blamed on Israel.
The US, Europe and Arab states urged Netanyahu to act with restraint. The foreign ministers of the UK and Germany both travelled to Israel on Wednesday to see him.
Netanyahu faced a dilemma this week. While many of his farright coalition members insisted on a firm response, the Israeli public was split on whether the country should react at all. Many, according to a poll, said it was not worth provoking Iran and straining Israel’s ties with the US.
Israel is more than six months into the Gaza war and still intent on attacking the city of Rafah, where it says several thousand Hamas fighters are lodged. Many in the country want the government to focus on finishing the conflict against the Iran-backed militant group that launched a deadly invasion on October 7.
If attributed to Israel, the nature and scope of the strike yesterday – including any casualties – could determine whether the tit-for-tat responses between the two sides escalate or start to get scaled back.
“The ball is in Iran’s court now,” said Ziad Daoud, chief emerging-market economist for Bloomberg Economics. “The most likely scenario is avoiding escalation through another direct attack on Israel.”
Many analysts had said targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities would be the riskiest and most aggressive option open to Israel, with strikes on non-nuclear military facilities and cyberattacks among the less escalatory choices.
Early indications were that this was a “symbolic attack” that would not force Iran to respond aggressively, retired Israeli General Israel Ziv told the nation’s Channel 12.
Iranian media portrayed a sense of calm in Isfahan and asserted that everything was proceeding as normal. The country’s Supreme National Security Council decided against convening for an emergency meeting, according to state TV.