Explosions Rock Iran’s Isfahan Amid Unconfirmed Reports Of Israeli Strike

Israel has hit Isfahan airport with missiles, according to Al Jazeera. But it also quoted the Fars news agency as saying there were several explosions in Isfahan province, air defence missile systems had been put on alert and flights from several airports had been suspended.

It quoted Fars as reporting that “The cause of the sounds is still unknown and investigations continue until the exact details of the incident are determined.”

It’s not clear what damage the explosions in Isfahan province caused or if there were any casualties.

Israel has not said anything although Prime Minister Netanyahu had warned on Wednesday his government will independently determine its course of action in response to Iran’s recent significant air attack.

Iran’s foreign minister Amir Abdollahian was quoted by CNN as warning that “In case the Israeli regime embarks on adventurism again and takes action against the interests of Iran, the next response from us will be immediate and at maximum level.”

The Times of Israel carried a report with the headline Israel said to carry out strike in Iran following drone and missile strike. But the copy did not quote any Israeli official, instead it US Senator Marco Rubio saying that “Israel has the ability to conduct strikes against targets inside Iran without entering Iranian air space from aircraft over Syrian and Iraqi airspace.”

In a post published shortly after reports the alleged Israeli strike on Iran, Rubio suggested that Israeli planes managed to avoid being shot down in Iranian airspace by launching missiles from beyond that country’s airspace. The Times of Israel report also noted that there is no indication Rubio was briefed on Israel’s strike ahead of time.

There could be clarity in some hours but if it is confirmed that the explosions in Isfahan were the result of an Israeli air strike, Iran would be under pressure to respond, and an inevitable cycle of escalation could set in.