Israeli officials had notified the US on Thursday that they planned to retaliate within 24-48 hours, according to two US officials who spoke to Bloomberg and asked not to be identified discussing private conversations. Spokesmen for the National Security Council and the Pentagon declined to comment.
Dubai-based airlines Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting to western Iran around 4:30 a.m. Iran time. They offered no explanation, although local warnings to airmen suggested the airspace may have been closed.
Iran suspended flights over several cities.
“Flights over the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran have been suspended,” state media reported.
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Iranian state television began an on-screen alert acknowledging a “loud noise” near Isfahan, without immediately giving further details.
The Israeli military said the warning sirens sounding in northern Israel were a false alarm.
The incident comes as tensions remain high in the Middle East following Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel.
Fars reported the sound of explosions over Isfahan, near its international airport. He offered no explanation for the explosion. However, Isfahan is home to a major air base for the Iranian military, as well as sites associated with its nuclear program.
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Iran's government had no immediate comment.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Isfahan is located about 350 kilometers south of the capital of Iran, Tehran.
Hossein Dalirian, a spokesman for Iran's civilian space program, said on social media platform X that several small “quadcopter” drones had been shot down. It was not immediately clear where this happened or if it was part of the ongoing incident.
Last weekend, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles in a retaliatory strike after a suspected Israeli attack on the embassy compound in Syria. Most of the drones and missiles were shot down before reaching Israeli territory.
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The attack in Syria killed two Iranian generals. Iran supports Hamas in its fight against Israel.
Iran told the UN Security Council on Thursday that Israel “must be forced to stop any further military adventures against our interests”, as the US secretary general warned that the Middle East was at a “moment of maximum danger”.
Israel had said it would retaliate against Iran's missile and drone attack. The United States and several other countries have asked Israel not to respond.
More to come
Reuters, AP, Bloomberg
