ISRAEL has launched a revenge attack on Iranian soil days after Tehran unleashed an unprecedented missile and drone blitz.
Explosions were heard near the city of Isfahan, home to a major airbase and nuclear site, as Iran activated its air defences to fend off Israeli drones.
US officials confirmed last night that Israel’s revenge for Iran’s 330 kamikaze drone and ballistic missile blitz had begun.
They said Israel successfully hit at least one Iranian target in the latest concerning Middle East development stoking fears of an all-out war across the region.
Iranian state TV launched into damage control claiming three drones were “destroyed” by its air defence batteries and no ground explosions had struck.
Blasts were also heard in Iraq and Syria in what appeared to be further strikes on Iranian puppet terror groups across the Middle East.
The full scope and scale of the surprise attack – launched hours after Israeli sources said they would hold off their response – remains unclear.
At least one explosion was heard in the city of Qahjavaristan, Isfahan near an airport and an army air force HQ, according to Iranian Media.
The air base just outside Isfahan is tied to Iran’s aircraft production – possibly where the attack drones it used against Israel on Saturday are made.
Unconfirmed Twitter footage appeared to show explosions on the ground in Iran and air defences activating in the sky to shoot down Israeli drones.
This morning state TV released footage of Isfahan’s “tranquil atmosphere” in a desperate attempt to downplay the embarrassment of Israel’s surprise ambush.
A senior Iranian official said its military was not planning an immediate response to the attack, declaring it was “unclear who is behind it”.
Analysts said an Iranian counter-strike would be much more likely if TV reports had expressed outrage and showed pictures of damage.
A former US General said Israel’s shock move was intended as retaliation but also serves as a warning to Iran, CNN reports.
Major General Mark MacCarley said: “Israelis had to retaliate, but at the same time, within that retaliation was a message, and that is, ‘Yes, we can get through. Don’t do it again. If you do it again, then all heck will break out.'”
The attack, which hit shortly after midnight, struck on Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s birthday.
Flights to Iran’s capital Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz were grounded for a time overnight but there were no initial reports of damage or casualties.
Nuclear site target
One of Iran’s fortified underground nuclear plants is near Isfahan but there was no confirmation that it had been targeted.
Concerning reports first surfaced almost two weeks ago that Israel could be planning to hit Iranian nuclear hubs.
Israeli forces were even said to be conducting secret air force drills in preparation for the dangerous escalation.
And the UN’s nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warned that Israel could indeed target Iran’s nuclear sites.
Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, later reported that nuclear facilities in Isfahan were “completely safe.”
International nuclear watchdog the IAEA confirmed this morning that no damage was sustained to Iran’s nuclear sites in last nights attack.
Grossi reiterated calls for “extreme restraint” as the agency said they would continue to monitor the situation closely.
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Tehran had warned it would hit back with a withering assault “tenfold” the size of Saturday’s huge attack if Israel dared to strike any target on its soil.
More blasts were heard in the As-Suwayda Governorate of southern Syria and near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, but there was no confirmation of Israeli origin.
Syrian state media says the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) struck their air defence positions in the south of the country – causing material damage just before 3am.
Hours before the attack, Israeli sources had indicated that Israel would not attack until after the end of the Jewish Passover religious holiday on April 30.
But the briefings appear to have been a ruse as several US officials confirmed action was underway.
And Hossein Dalirian, spokesperson for the country’s National Centre of Cyberspace, outright denied the Israeli attack.
He wrote on X: “There has been no air attack from outside borders to Isfahan or other parts of the country.”
He added that Israel had “only made a failed and humiliating attempt to fly quadcopters [drones] and the quadcopters have also been shot down.”
But Iran’s FARS news agency did report that three explosions were heard near the military base in Isfahan.
“The defense is activated in response to an object that is likely to be a drone,” sources told the outlet.
FARS reportedly claimed that the army radar was a potential target.
Iran’s aerial attack on Israel
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IRAN launched an unprecedented aerial barrage on Israel overnight on Saturday April 13.
BY ELLIE DOUGHTY
In the first attack of its kind, Iran hurled 110 ballistic missiles, 36 cruise missiles and 185 attack drones across Middle Eastern airspace.
Between Israel’s impressive Iron Dome air defence system and allied efforts from the UK and US, Tehran’s attack was largely thwarted.
At least four Typhoon fighters took out some of the weapons bound for Israel after scrambling from the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus.
It was the biggest air-to-air battle involving the UK since the Falklands in 1982.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the ambush as a “declaration of war”.
Netanyahu’s war cabinet spent days locked in crunch meetings to debate a possible response.
The IDF quickly approved plans for an “offensive” against Iran but the timing and scale of their planned revenge strike remained murky.
Iranian military officials have not publicly commented on the apparent attack and representatives for the armed forces told CNN they “don’t have a comment at this time.”
Israel maintained a stony silence and made no comment on the action early today, suggesting it was reverting to its long-running “shadow war” with its arch-enemy.
The initial moves by both sides were being interpreted as attempts to de-escalate the crisis amid World War Three fears.
But analysts still described the Isfahan attack – five days after Iran’s flop drone and missile blitz was blocked by Israel’s Iron Dome defences and war jets – as “an extremely dangerous moment.”
The Sun previously laid out the terrifying war simulation that explains how a war between Iran and Israel would unfold, and quickly go nuclear.
Israel declined to make any comment early today – but two Israeli officials were reported to have confirmed its military was responsible to the New York Times.
US officials later confirmed that they were given notice of an “imminent” Israeli attack shortly before the early hours strike.
Downing Street has already spoken out about last night’s ambush.
The Prime Minister’s office said Israel has a right to self defence but added: “we have been stressing to Israelis that what matters now is de-escalation”.
It also said the source of the strikes has not been officially confirmed.
So far there has been no explicit confirmation by Israel that it was responsible for the attack.
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog has described the attack from Iran as a “declaration of war.”
Herzog claimed it is “time the world faces this empire of evil in Tehran” amid Western fears of an all-out war in the region.
Israel previously warned of an “imminent” retaliatory response to the weekend attack.
An IDF official said such an attack would be “coordinated with the Americans.”
As of Monday, the IDF had approved plans for an “offensive” against Iran.
David Mencer, a spokesman for the Israeli government, said the country “retains all its options.
“We reserve the right to do everything in our power, and we will do everything in our power to defend this country,” Mencer said.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council also vowed to retaliate against Israel if a counter-attack was launched.
The U.S. Sun previously reported that Israel was intending to hold off on a retaliatory attack against Iran to smash Hamas in Gaza.
“The Americans are our main ally and clearly don’t want this to turn into a wider war,” A former Israeli government adviser said.
“But Israel knows it’s justified in responding to Iran and sources tell me it is using its restraint as leverage to get the go-ahead to finish the job in Gaza.
“The mission since October 7 has always been to destroy Hamas and save the 100 or so hostages. Israel’s revenge on Iran may yet be a dish best served cold.”