Israel conducted a military strike on Iranian territory on Friday, marking a swift retaliation following Tehran's recent rocket and drone assault, raising fears of a regional conflict breaking out.
The sound of explosions heard in the early hours of Friday morning was attributed to Iranian air defence firing, specifically around the city of Qahjavarestan, close to Isfahan's airport and the 8th Air Force base.
Major General Seyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army, in an interview with Defence Press, noted that the explosion heard in Isfahan: "Due to our vigilance, it was several flying objects at which shots had been fired."
"Madness comes from every madman; their sanity is the question. You have seen Iran's reaction before," Mousavi added.
Iran's state news agency, Irna, quoted Brigadier General Mihandoust from the central Iranian city of Isfahan, who also confirmed that loud noises east of the city are the sound of air defence systems intercepting a "suspicious target," with no reported damage in the area.
Iran has so far made claims of largely thwarting the attack, with Iran's space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian stating that several drones had been successfully shot down by the country's air defence, with no reports of missile attacks as of now.
Meanwhile, the US embassy in Israel has informed employees to limit their movement.
In a security advisory issued by the mission on its website, the US says; “Out of an abundance of caution following reports that Israel conducted a retaliatory strike inside Iran, US government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv area, as well as the Jerusalem and Beersheva areas, “until further notice”.
Reactions from governments around the world have called for de-escalation in the region.
Recall that Israel, in coordination with the US and other allied nations, intercepted a barrage of 300 missiles and drones from Iran on Saturday, claiming to have stopped 99 percent of them before they could cause significant damage.
Iran attributed the attack to Israel's bombing of an Iranian consulate building in Damascus on April 1, resulting in casualties among IRGC commanders and officers.
