Iran confirmed the downing of several drones over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz, accusingIsrael of being behind the attacks launched at dawn this Friday against military objectives.
The Israeli response tomassive attack with drones and missiles launched by Iran last Saturday is a continuation of the hostilities that worsened after the air assault against the Iranian embassy in Syria at the beginning of the month, in which several generals of the Revolutionary Guard of the ayatollah regime were killed, includingReza Zahedi, one of its most prominent leaders and Tehran's link withHamas terrorist groups and Hezbollah.
According to the agencyMore, under the control of the Iranian government, the Isfahan anti-aircraft defense managed to shoot down three drones in the early morning. According toThe worldDespite these incidents, local media reported that the situation in the city had returned to calm by dawn. Images of congested traffic broadcast by these media attempted to show a semblance of normality.
Official media in Iran has attempted to downplay the magnitude of the attack, denying US media reports suggesting the presence of missiles in the assault. However, the closure of several airports in Iran has been confirmed and its armed forces are reported to be on high alert.
The Isfahan facility, reportedly attacked by Israel, is an Iranian air force base that houses a squadron of F-14 aircraft. It is unclear whether this base has been the main target of the recent attacks, but US sources, includingCNN, have attributed responsibility for these attacks to Israel. From Washington, a call has been made to Israel to refrain from carrying out new attacks and avoid exacerbating violence.
Iran's Foreign MinisterHossein Amir-Abdollahian, stated in a recent appearance before the United Nations that any illegal use of force by Israel would receive a decisive response from Iran. This statement comes as Tehran accuses Western powers of bias for failing to condemn the assault on its embassy in Syria, which Iran says justified its recent retaliation.
Israel's response raises the temperature in the Middle East, a region where the escalation of war is growing and the conflict threatens to lead to an open war between two States that have been at odds for decades through terrorist groups and specific military actions in third countries.
The generalRamezan Sharif, a senior official in the Revolutionary Guard, warned that his possible new targets could include the Israeli nuclear power plant in Dimona. Although it denied on Thursday that its missiles and drones had attacked those facilities, statements from other commanders make it clear that Iran does not rule out an operation of this scope.
"If the Zionist regime decides to take measures against our nuclear centers, it will face our reaction. It will be an eye for an eye," the general said this Thursday.Ahmad Haqtalab, warning that if Israel hits its nuclear facilities, Iran will respond by trying to reach Dimona.
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