- Written by Sean Seddon and Daniele Palumbo
- bbc news
U.S. officials said Israel attacked Iran with a missile early Friday in what appeared to be retaliation for weeks of heightened tensions between the two countries.
There are conflicting claims about the scale and damage caused by the attack on the Isfahan region, with Iranian state media downplaying its significance.
This follows weeks of heightened tensions between the regional rivals, who have already witnessed Israeli attacks on Iranian facilities in Syria, and which has seen Iran launch unprecedented attacks against Israel. It happened after.
Here’s everything we know so far about the latest incident.
How do we know there was a strike?
Israel does not regularly confirm its military operations, which have repeatedly targeted Iranian-backed militant groups in Syria and Iraq.
However, US officials confirmed to BBC partner CBS News that an Israeli missile had hit Iran.
U.S. intelligence sources say a missile was involved in the attack, but Iran says a small drone was involved.
The Iranian government strictly controls access to the country. The BBC does not have direct access to central Isfahan, where the incident took place overnight.
What weapons might have been used?
So far, there has been much speculation about the type of missile used.
BBC Verify attempted to identify the weapon by analyzing images of the wreckage posted from an area of neighboring Iraq, 60 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of the capital Baghdad.
image source, Sabreen news
There now appears to be a broader consensus among experts that a two-stage missile was used and that it was probably launched from the air. Many have identified the debris as an Israeli-made Blue Sparrow missile.
Justin Crump, a former British Army officer who runs the risk intelligence company Civiline, said the fragments seen in the photo were probably from a missile booster, adding: “The warhead has separated and is probably on its way to accomplishing its mission. It’s a fallen motor,” he agreed. To Earth”.
“The booster typically has attachment points that are used to connect to an aircraft, and its overall size suggests it may have been an air launch system,” Crump said. .
Although the exact type of missile cannot yet be independently confirmed, it is known that Israel has developed this type of weapon.
“Israel has used such weapons in Syria before and this is well within their capabilities,” Crump added.
What is Iran saying about this attack?
Some Iranian officials and media have acknowledged the attempted attack but downplayed its significance. There were no reports of casualties.
Iran’s Fars news agency said explosions were heard near the military base and air defense systems were activated.
State media quoted the general as saying that the explosions heard in the Isfahan area were “caused by air defense fire against a suspicious object” and that there were no casualties.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, close to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps military wing, posted a video of a nuclear facility in Isfahan with no signs of being attacked.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that there was no damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“There were no air attacks from outside the country’s borders,” said Hossein Dalilian, a spokesman for Iran’s National Center for Cyberspace.
He said Israel “just made a failed and humiliating attempt to fly a quadcopter.” [drones]” It was shot down.
Iran imposed restrictions on commercial flights in the hours following the strike, which have now been lifted.
Explosions were also reported overnight in Iraq and Syria, where Iranian-backed militants are active, but it is unclear whether they are directly related to the Isfahan attack.
Syria’s Ministry of Defense announced that air defense facilities in southern Syria were attacked by Israeli missiles early Friday morning local time. Israel has not acknowledged that it was behind the attack.
Why was Isfahan targeted and why now?
Isfahan province is a vast region in central Iran that takes its name from Iran’s largest city.
The region is home to significant Iranian military infrastructure, including a large air base, a major missile production facility, and several nuclear facilities.
Israel usually gives advance notice to the United States of its military actions, but Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters at the G7 meeting in Capri that the United States was only “informed at the last minute.” Ta.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking at the summit, denied involvement in the attack, saying only that the US was “not involved in any offensive operations.”
Despite its massive scale and unprecedented nature, the Iranian attack was largely unsuccessful, with most of the projectiles shot down by Israeli air defenses supported by the United States, Britain, and other allies.
Israel has also not publicly acknowledged that it was behind the attack, but it is widely accepted that it was.
Will this increase tensions between Israel and Iran?
The full meaning of the attack is not yet clear, and it remains to be seen whether Iran will seek a response.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardener said Friday’s attack was limited in scale and may have been planned to prevent further escalation of the conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be under conflicting pressure from some of his country’s generals and political allies to strike back against Iran, according to BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen.
Israel is under heavy international pressure from the United States and other Western allies not to take any action that risks escalating the long-running proxy war between the two Mideast rivals into a direct conflict.
The escalation in hostilities comes against the backdrop of the Gaza war, in which Israeli forces are battling Iran-backed Hamas.
What was the reaction in Israel and around the world?
Some reactions from within Israel have highlighted the country’s political divisions.
Ultranationalist Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the attack on Iran as “weak” or “crippling”.
In response, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called for his removal, saying his comments had ridiculed and embarrassed Israel.
The British government said it would not speculate about airstrikes, but said Israel must exercise its “right of self-defense” and avoid “serious escalation.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on all parties to refrain from further action.
How did the global economy respond?
There are concerns that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could disrupt oil supplies.
Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose 1.8% to $88 a barrel after the attack.
Oil prices initially rose as much as 3.5%, but prices stabilized once it became clear that the strike was limited.
The price of gold, considered a safe investment during times of uncertainty, briefly neared record highs, but has since fallen to nearly $2,400 an ounce.
