Israel has attacked Iran
A loud blast heard near the Iranian city of Isfahan was caused by "air defense firing at a suspicious object," an Iranian senior military commander said, according to Iran's state-aligned Tasnim news agency.
There was no "damage or incident," said senior military commander Second Brigadier General Mihandoust in Isfahan Province, according to Tasnim.
A US official told CNN that Israel had carried out a strike inside Iran. The Israeli military has not commented.
Iranian state media are reporting that all facilities in the area are secure, including significant nuclear facilities.
Three explosions were heard early Friday near the military base where fighter jets are located in the Isfahan province, Iran's semi-official FARS news agency reported.
"The defense is activated in response to an object that is likely to be a drone," sources tell FARS news. Iran's National Cyberspace Center spokesman, Hossein Dalirian, said air defenses shot down three drones and "there are no reports of a missile attack for now."
The attack on Iran early Friday was likely intended as both a retaliatory measure and a cautionary message, a retired US Army Major General told CNN.
For days, Israel has been weighing its response to unprecedented weekend strikes from Iran, which were launched in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month.
A US official told CNN that Friday's attack was an Israeli strike. Israel has declined to comment on it.
“Israel must maintain its vigilance” in case Iran decides to respond with another show of force, retired Major General Mark MacCarley said.
By targeting the Iranian province of Isfahan — the site of significant nuclear facilities —Israel was likely warning that it could easily overwhelm Iran's defenses, MacCarley said.
