An Iranian official said air defenses intercepted three drones and that there were no reports of a missile attack. Multiple state-aligned news agencies reported that sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program were “completely secure.”
Israel had for days weighed its response to Iran’s unprecedented weekend strikes, most of which were intercepted. Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month.
The US was given advance notification Thursday of an intended Israeli strike in the coming days, but did not endorse the response, the US official said.
The attack came hours after Iran’s foreign minister told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”
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Our live coverage of the attack on Iran has moved here.
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Attack was a calculated message to Iran, retired US Army general says
From CNN's Michael Holmes and Elizabeth Wolfe
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.
“I think that there was a very deliberate thought process on the part of the Israeli war cabinet,” he said.
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Blast heard near Isfahan was caused by air defense firing at "suspicious object," Iranian official says
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi and Irene Nasser
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.
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.
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.”
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The Middle East is on edge after a strike on Iran. Here's what we know
From CNN staff
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official told CNN on Friday, in a move that threatens to further escalate conflict in the Middle East.
Iran’s air defense systems were activated in several locations after explosions were heard close to the airport and an army base in the province of Isfahan, state media reported early Friday morning.
What Iranian reports say: Three blasts were heard near a military base where fighter jets are located in northwest Isfahan, Iran’s semi-official FARS news agency reported. Following the strike, Iranian media reported that all facilities around Isfahan are secure, including significant nuclear facilities in the area. 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.”
What was the target? That remains unclear, but the US official told CNN the strike’s target was not nuclear. According to FARS, a military radar was a possible target. Ghahjaworstan, where an explosion was heard, is located near Isfahan Airport and “the eighth hunting base of the Army Air Force,” FARS reported.
How did we get here? Tensions remain acute across the Middle East as Israel wages war in Gaza against Palestinian militant group Hamas, an Iranian ally. Meanwhile, a decades-long shadow conflict between Israel and Iran erupted into the open on the weekend when Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that Tehran said was retaliation for a deadly suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Syria.
What Israel says: The Israeli military said Friday they “don’t have a comment at this time” when asked by CNN about reports of explosions in Iran. Israel’s war cabinet has met periodically this week without announcing any definitive action following the Iranian strikes on Israel last weekend.
What the US says: Israel’s allies, including the United States, have called for restraint from Israel in a bid to prevent a regional war. The US “didn’t green light” an Israeli response, another senior US official told CNN. Prior to Friday’s strike, the US expectation was that Israel would not target civilian or nuclear facilities, the second official said.
What happens next? That also remains unclear.Reports of the explosions came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.” He added: “If the Israeli regime commits the grave error once again our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them.”
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Iran lifts flight suspensions put in place following reports of explosions
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi and Irene Nasser
Iran has lifted flight suspensions put in place after reports of explosions near a military base in Isfahan province, according to the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Organization.
Flights have resumed at Mehrabad Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport, the two major airports in Iran’s capital, Tehran, after being suspended earlier today.
Iran had earlier temporarily suspended all flights heading to the cities of “Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, the airports of the West, North West and South West,” state-run Mehr TV reported.
Iranian state media reports no major disruption to Isfahan's infrastructure
From CNN's Nic Robertson and Elizabeth Wolfe
Following a strike in Iran’s Isfahan province, Iranian state media are reporting that all facilities in the area are secure, including significant nuclear facilities, CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson reports.
Though a US official told CNN Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, Israel has not taken responsibility for the attack.
State media is also reporting that they have not had any enemy aircraft come into Iranian airspace, he added.
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Flight en route to Tehran returns to Dubai
From CNN's Sandi Sidhu in Hong Kong
A flight from Dubai to Tehran was diverted back to the United Arab Emirates on Friday morning after Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport closed.
A Flydubai spokesperson told CNN that flights from Dubai to Iran had been canceled.
The flight left for Dubai at 4:10 a.m. (8:10 p.m. ET) and arrived back in Dubai at 5:51 a.m. (9:51 a.m. ET).
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US Secretary of Defense spoke with Israeli Defense Minister earlier Thursday before Israel attacked Iran
From CNN's Mary Kay Mallonee
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant (L) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Getty Images
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant earlier Thursday about “regional threats and Iran’s destabilizing actions in the Middle East,” according to a Pentagon readout.
Austin also discussed “the importance of increasing and sustaining the flow of humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians, including via the new route from Ashdod Port in Israel,” the readout said.
CNN reported Thursday night that Israel had told the US that it would be retaliating against Iran in the coming days, according to a senior US official.
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Iran's air defense downs 3 drones, official says, as state media reports no large-scale strikes
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi and Hamdi Alkhshali
Iranian air defenses shot down three drones Friday, according to a Tehran official, as state media said no large-scale strikes or explosions had been reported following blasts near the central city of Isfahan.
It comes after a US official told CNN Friday that Israel had carried out a strike inside Iran, in a move that threatens to raise regional tensions.
Iran’s air defense systems were activated in several regions as a precaution against potential aerial threats, according to state news agency IRNA.
Extensive checks in Isfahan, a critical central province with significant nuclear facilities, indicate that all sensitive military and security installations remain secure, with no incidents reported.
Missile defense systems were not activated, IRNA added.
This post has been updated.
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Australia urges its citizens to leave Israel after strikes on Iran
From CNN's Sandi Sidhu in Hong Kong
The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) urged its citizens in Israel to “depart if it’s safe to do so.”
The department warned that “military attacks may result in airspace closures, flight cancellations & diversions & other travel disruptions.”
It is concerned that Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport “may pause operations due to heightened security concerns at any time, & at short notice.”
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Israeli military says they have "no comment" following reports of explosions in Iran
From CNN's Benjamin Brown and Irene Nasser
The Israeli military said they “don’t have a comment at this time,” when asked by CNN about reports of explosions in Iran.
Israel carried out a strike inside Iran early Friday local time, a US official tells CNN. The target is not nuclear, the official said.
The US also said it had advance warning of Israel’s retaliation against Iran but “didn’t endorse” it, a senior US official said.
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"The gloves have come off:" Experts warn an escalating tit-for-tat could have dire consequences
From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe
The strike against Iran early Friday is just the latest in an intensifying and uncertain series of attacks in the Middle East.
Should a tit-for-tat between Israel and Iran develop, the conflict between the nations threatens to get “very grim very quickly,” an international relations expert told CNN.
Iran could choose to target Israel through proxies in Lebanon and Iraq, as well as with the help of Hamas in Gaza and the Houthi militant group in Yemen, Ghosh said.
Friday’s strikes have pitched the conflict into “unknown territory,” he said.
CNN Global Affairs Analyst Kim Dozier said this “escalation ladder” between the countries could lead to “something really dire — an all-out back and forth between the two.”
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US had advance warning of Israel's retaliation against Iran but "didn't endorse" it, US official says
From CNN's Alex Marquardt
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, February 18.
Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Israel had told the US on Thursday it would be retaliating against Iran in the coming days, a senior US official said.
“We didn’t endorse the response,” the official said.
Israel had been weighing a response to Iran’s weekend airstrikes targeting the Jewish state, most of which were intercepted.
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official tells CNN. The attack came just hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN in an interview that if Israel takes any further military action against it would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”
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Why Israel's strike on Iran threatens to push the Middle East deeper into conflict
From CNN staff
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official tells CNN, in a move that threatens to trigger further deadly conflict throughout the Middle East.
The attack came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”
The details of a potential “maximum response” have been planned by Iran’s armed forces, he said.
Israel had for days been weighing its response to Iran’s unprecedented weekend strikes, most of which were intercepted.
Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month.
That airstrike destroyed the consulate building and killed at least seven officials, including two top commanders.
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Nuclear facilities are safe in Isfahan province, Iranian state-aligned media says
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi
Iran’s state-aligned Tasnim news says nuclear facilities in Isfahan province are “completely secure,” citing a “reliable source.”
Other Iranian media outlets are reporting the same.
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official told CNN Friday. The target of the strike was not nuclear, the official added.
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Israel carries out strike in Iran, a US official says
From CNN's Alex Marquardt
IRGC released a photo that it said showed flashes in the sky of Isfahan, Iran following reports of explosions.
IRGC
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official tells CNN, in a move that threatens to push the region deeper into conflict.
The target is not nuclear, the official said.
Prior to the Israeli strike Friday (local time), the US expectation was that they would not target civilian or nuclear facilities, another senior US official told CNN.
CNN has previously reported that Israel told the US its response would be limited in scope. US intelligence had suggested Israel was weighing a narrow and limited strike inside Iran because they feel like they have to respond with a kinetic action of some kind given the unprecedented scale of the Iranian attack
The range of targets was “never specified in precise terms but nuclear and civilian locations were clearly not in that category,” the second official added.
The US has been urging Israel not to respond to last weekend’s Iranian attack, which President Joe Biden on Thursday called “unprecedented.” The US “didn’t green light” an Israeli response, the second official said.
This post has been updated with the latest developments.
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Oil prices surge, Dow futures sink nearly 500 points on reports of explosions in Iran
From CNN’s Matt Egan and Laura He
A working oil pumpjack is pictured in Taft, California, on September 21, 2023.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Oil prices surged nearly 4% and US stock futures fell sharply Thursday evening amid reports of explosions in Iran.
In recent trading, US oil prices climbed 3.7% to $85.80 a barrel. Brent crude, the world benchmark, gained 3.4% to $90.13 a barrel.
Energy prices moved sharply higher as Iranian news agencies reported explosions heard near Iran’s Isfahan Airport.
The developments drove US stock futures steadily lower, with Dow futures down 480 points, or 1.3%. Nasdaq futures lost almost 2%.
“Israel’s response could determine whether oil supplies are ultimately under threat.”
Gold futures were up 1% at $2,422.4 per ounce in morning Asian trade with investors piling into safe-haven investments.
But stock markets in Asia sank as appetite for risk weakened, according to analysts.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slid 3.5%. South Korea’s Kospi lost 3%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.5%. China’s Shanghai Composite inched down 0.1%.
This post has been updated with more information.
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Multiple explosions heard near military base in Isfahan province, semi-official news agency says
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi
Iranian semi-official FARS news is reporting that three explosions were heard near the military base where fighter jets are located in the Isfahan province.
It has been said that the army radar was one of the possible targets and the windows of several office buildings were broken in this area, FARS reports.
The cause of the blasts are not yet known.
Reports of the explosion come hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”
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Outgoing flights from several Iranian airports canceled, Iranian state TV reports
From CNN's Jennifer Hauser
Iranian state media Press TV is reporting outgoing flights from several Iranian airports have been canceled, citing an Iranian official.
All flights going to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz had already been suspended, the director of Iran’s public relations for an airport company announced in an interview with state-run Mehr TV.
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Iran's air defense systems have been activated in several provinces, state news reports
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
Iran’s air defense systems have been activated in several provinces of the country, state news IRNA reported in the early hours of Friday local time.
