Israeli Missile Hits Iran, Says US News Channels
An Israeli missile has struck Iran, two US officials have told the BBC’s US partner CBS News.
Iranian state media are citing unconfirmed reports of explosions in central province of Isfahan.
Iran’s state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has downplayed reports of an attack, saying Isfahan is safe and sound.
Hossein Dalirian, spokesperson for the country’s National Center of Cyberspace and the Iran Space Agency, in a post X denied there had been a direct missile attack from outside the country, which contradicts the line from US officials that an Israeli missile has hit Iran.
Iran has been on high alert after Israel said it would respond to Iranian missiles and drones fired at Israel on Saturday night.
More than 300 drones and missiles were fired at Israel by Iran during its unprecedented attack.
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Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), said explosions were heard near Isfahan International Airport and an army base in Isfahan city, activating local air defence systems.
Video from Isfahan posted on BBC Persian’s Instagram account shows orange flashes in the night sky and the sound of what appears to be bursts of anti-aircraft fire.
BBC correspondents say the scale of the strike appears to be limited, suggesting it was aimed more at sending the Iranian regime a message – that Israeli weapons can reach deep inside Iran – than it was at inflicting damage.
Iran’s relatively muted response, with some officials even denying an attack took place at all, indicates that for Iran it is partly about saving face and looking strong.
Friday’s strike comes six days after Iran launched its unprecedented attack in retaliation for an Israeli air strike on Iran’s consulate building in Syria on 1 April, which killed two top generals.
The most senior of the two, Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Zahedi, was reportedly in charge of Iranian military operations in Syria and Lebanon, where pro-Iranian forces have launched attacks on Israel.
