Israel strikes Iran, defense officials confirm

• Published date: 19 April 2024
• Author: YONAH JEREMY BOB
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Meanwhile, two Israeli defense officials and three Iranian officials confirmed to The New York Times that Israel was involved

The report came shortly after local sources reported explosions in Isfahan in central Iran, in the As-Suwayda Governorate of southern Syria, and in the Baghdad area and Babil Governorate of Iraq early Friday morning.

A US official then told CNN that the Iranian target was not nuclear. Videos from Isfahan appeared to show Iranian air defenses activated in the skies over the area.

A senior US official also confirmed this on Friday morning of the attack, stating, "We were not surprised, while also telling Walla that Israel informed the US in advance of the strike.

Read more on the strike in Iran

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Attack on Iran next to nuclear site sends message: We could have done worse here

Israeli sources to Post: 'An eye for an eye'; not clear why Pentagon leaked info on attack

Reports in Iran of the strike

The Iranian semi-official Fars News Agency reported on Friday that an explosion was heard in Qahjavarestan, east of Isfahan and near the Isfahan International Airport. Fars stressed that the cause of the explosion was unknown as of yet.

Fars and other Iranian news agencies reported that air defenses were seemingly activated near Isfahan in response to small drones.

Iranian air defenses were also activated in Tabriz in northwestern Iran on Friday morning after a suspicious object was spotted in the air, according to Fars.

According to Bloomberg News, Israeli officials notified the US on Thursday that they planned to launch a strike in the next 24-48 hours.

Reports of strikes on sites belonging to Syrian army

Syrian reports on Friday morning indicated airstrikes had also targeted sites belonging to the Syrian Army in the As-Suwayda and Daraa Governorates of southern Syria.

According to the local news site As-Suwayda24, the airstrikes targeted radar sites belonging to the Syrian military between Qarda and Izraa in Daraa in southern Syria.

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