ISRAEL has attacked Iran’s Isfahan town, after which the latter activated its air defence system and suspended flights. It comes few days after Iran had attacked Israel in response to an alleged attack on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus leading to the killing of seven top officers of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps including General Mohammed Reza Zahedi. Iranian air defences were activated in the skies over the area, according to Iranian semi-official ‘Fars News Agency’. Three explosions rocked the east of Isfahan and near the Isfahan International Airport. Israeli media reported that a missile strike targeted Isfahan town.

 

It said that several senior officials were present in the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Friday morning. However, Iran said that there were no missile attacks but only drone attacks. Iranian state media on Friday reported that several small flying objects had been shot at in the skies over the central province of Isfahan. The Iranian media reported that flights to Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz had been suspended as of Friday morning. Speaking at the G7 meeting in Capri, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the US received “last-minute” information from Israel about the attack on Isfahan. United States officials declined to comment as of early Friday, but American broadcast networks quoting unnamed US officials said Israel carried out the attack. The New York Times quoted anonymous Israeli officials claiming the assault, which came on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s 85th birthday. Israeli politicians also made comments hinting that the country had launched an attack. Air defence batteries fired in several provinces over reports of drones being in the air, state television reported. Iranian army commander Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi said crews targeted several flying objects.

 

Iran asserts “right to self defence” over Israel’s “aggression”; slams UN for failing its duty: IRAN has exercised its “inherent right of self-defence” in response to what it termed the “Zionist regime’s heinous military aggression” against its diplomatic premises in Damascus in Syria, according to a statement issued by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India on Friday. “The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a responsible member of the United Nations, emphasising its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the rule of law, in response to the Zionist regime’s heinous military aggression and unlawful use of force against diplomatic premises of Iran in Damascus, the Syrian Arab Republic on 1st April 2024, implemented its inherent right of SELF DEFENCE in accordance with the Article 51 of the UN Charter on 14 April 2024,” the press statement read. G7 Foreign Ministers’ communique warns of new sanctions on Iran and urges de-escalation: GROUP of Seven Foreign Ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who chaired the meeting of Ministers of industrialised countries, said the agenda of the three-day meeting was changed on Friday to address the latest developments. Early Friday, Iran fired air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site near Isfahan after spotting drones. They were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country last weekend.