New Delhi:

The world is praying after Iranian state media reported an explosion in Isfahan province just days after Iran launched a drone attack on Israel, raising fears of a serious escalation in West Asia.

Although Israeli authorities have not confirmed the attack and Iranian state media have downplayed claims of attacks on military sites, U.S. media quoted officials as saying Israel carried out a retaliatory attack.

What happened in Isfahan

Iran’s Fars news agency reported earlier on Friday that “three explosions” were heard near the Shekari Army Air Base in northwestern Isfahan province, AFP reported. Iranian Space Agency spokesman Hossein Dalilian said that multiple drones were shot down and “there are currently no missile attacks.” An unnamed U.S. official told CNN the target was not nuclear. Iran’s Tasnim news agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the nuclear facility in Isfahan was “completely safe.” Tasnim also denied that Iran was under attack from abroad.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that “there was no damage” to Iran’s nuclear facilities. A statement said: “Director General @rafaelmgrossi continues to call on all to exercise extreme restraint and reiterates that nuclear facilities should never be the target of military conflict. The IAEA is closely monitoring the situation.”

The New York Times reported citing Iranian officials that the attack hit a military air base near Isfahan.

The attack also coincided with the 85th birthday of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

How Iran responded

Iranian state media reported that air defense systems in several cities across the country were activated early on Friday. Flights to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz were suspended and UAE-based flydubai canceled flights to the country. However, Tehran’s two airports later resumed services.

Flight tracking software showed commercial flights avoiding western Iran, including Isfahan, AFP reported. Iranian television broadcast a live broadcast of normal traffic conditions at a roundabout in Isfahan.

Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian television reported that the Isfahan nuclear facility was completely safe and peaceful. It also said a senior army official in Isfahan confirmed that the explosions heard in the province were fired as a result of anti-aircraft weapons targeting “suspicious objects”. Dalillian said three drones were shot down.

Why Isfahan is important

Isfahan houses an experimental nuclear reactor and a uranium conversion facility. According to the Associated Press, this is also the location of Iran’s underground Natanz enrichment base, which has been the target of suspected Israeli sabotage attacks many times. Isfahan also hosts Iran’s fleet of US-made F-14 Tomcats, which were purchased before the 1979 Iranian revolution.

According to Fars News Agency, Gajavostan, where the explosion was heard, is located near Isfahan Airport and is the “eighth hunting base of the Army and Air Force.”

The attack in Isfahan is particularly significant in the context of Iran’s warnings to Israel.

Days after the missile attack on Israel, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that they would attack Israeli nuclear facilities and possibly seek nuclear weapons if Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities. “The nuclear facilities of the Zionist enemy have been identified and all necessary information from all targets is available to us,” Tasnim newspaper quoted Brigadier General Ahmed Khattarab as saying.

The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps division responsible for protecting Iran’s nuclear facilities said: “Our finger has been pressed on the trigger to launch powerful missiles to destroy designated targets in response to possible attacks by them.”

“It is possible and conceivable if the pseudo-Zionist regime wants to use the threat of attacking our country’s nuclear center as a tool to reconsider the doctrine and policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and deviate from the considerations previously stated,” he said. Iran’s most direct warning yet.

What should we do now?

Israel has yet to officially comment on the attack. “We have no comment at this time,” the Israeli military told AFP. One word Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Givir posted on X was “weak.”

The White House and Pentagon have also yet to issue statements. U.S. media reports quoted officials as saying that Washington did receive advance notice of the attack but did not endorse or participate in its execution.

According to the Times of Israel, there was no official comment from Israel and the limited nature of the attack could put Iran in a position of strategic deniability – necessary to reduce tensions in the region. But if Israel publicly acknowledges its role in the attack, all eyes will be on how Iran responds.

The world is watching with bated breath the development of the situation in the sensitive region, where Israel has launched a war in Gaza in retaliation for the October 7 attack by Hamas.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that escalating tensions over the Gaza war and Iranian attacks on Israel could turn into a “full-blown regional conflict.”

“The Middle East is on the edge of a precipice. In recent days, there has been a dangerous escalation in both rhetoric and actions,” he told the U.N. Security Council. He said, “One miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake could lead to unimaginable consequences – a full-scale regional conflict that would be devastating for all parties involved.” He called on all parties to remain vigilant. restraint.