Videos from the city showed orange flashes in the night sky, along with sounds of what appeared to be sustained bursts of anti-aircraft artillery. Israel has so far maintained silence about what happened and the initial reaction of the Iranian authorities was to claim that nothing very serious has taken place.
American officials, however, confirmed the Israeli military action and Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that blasts had been heard in the city, activating local air defence systems.
Later Iranian officials said the Isfahan military base had been struck and a separate attack in Tabriz, 500 miles away, had been thwarted. However, attempts were still being made to play down what had unfolded.
One official said: “The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack.” The source claimed the drones used actually may have been flown by saboteurs internally.
The US, UK and other Western states have been urging Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli government not to carry out a direct assault on Iran, and the Biden administration has made clear it will not take part in any such mission. Israel could have targeted any of Iran’s allies: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Syrian and Iraqi militias, and the Houthis in Yemen instead of Iran, so the Isfahan attack takes the strife between the two countries to a dangerous new level.
This story is from the April 20, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 20, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Disco-pop princess fills the dancefloor like no other
Dua Lipa is doing what she does best on Radical Optimism’, getting feet tapping and bodies moving to slickly-made beats with an undeniable chart-topping energy
Hollywood made Dunaway pay for her independence
With new documentary ‘Faye’ set to premiere in Cannes, Geoffrey Macnab tells the cautionary tale of how the strong, chic ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ star ended up acting in B-movies
Dortmund unlock the joy of Sancho after United misery
As the Borussia Dortmund players eventually left the pitch after their customary serenading by the yellow wall, there was only one player everyone was talking about.
Villa frailties exposed by confident Olympiacos
The problem with assuming a Europa League winner with Sevilla is bound to conquer the continent is that there is more than one of them.
Chelsea beat lacklustre Spurs with magic free kicks
As the saying goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Ange Postecoglou insisted Tottenham had “far more important issues” than defending set pieces before a second London derby in five days, but a potential problem for the Spurs manager is now growing into a crisis after this defeat to Chelsea.
The AI app that shows just how bad dating is right now
As a new app launches with the promise to help men placate their ‘angry girlfriends’, Olivia Petter asks what this type of technology says about our expectations of men – and women
As a father, I think banning smartphones is hypocritical
Today, around 3,000 schools in the UK have had to stop educating children and instead let adults use their buildings as polling stations in which to exercise their democratic right to vote.
Do today's US protests really compare to Sixties struggles?
As the calendar turned from April to May, police marched onto the campuses of two major universities, one on each coast of the United States, and dispersed hundreds of students.
Turkey halts trade with Israel over Gaza deaths
Turkey yesterday suspended all imports and exports to Israel citing the country's ongoing military action in Gaza and vowed to continue to impose other measures until the Israeli government allows the flow of humanitarian aid to the region.
Biden condemns violence at colleges amid Gaza protests
Joe Biden yesterday condemned the unrest and violence that has disrupted college campuses over the last week, while stressing the importance of the right of Americans to protest peacefully in support of the Palestinians’ treatment during Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.