According to reports, Israel launched an attack on Iran overnight, and explosions were heard in the central city of Isfahan.

The missile strike has not been officially confirmed by Israel or the United States, but Iranian state media reported earlier on Friday that Iranian forces destroyed the drone days after Tehran launched a retaliatory attack on Israel.

ABC News cited anonymous U.S. officials as saying that Israel struck locations inside the Islamic Republic.

Two U.S. officials also told CBS that Israeli missiles struck Iran.

An Iranian official denied the reports, telling Reuters that no missile attack had occurred and that the explosion was the result of the activation of Iran’s air defense systems.

Iranian state television said that shortly after midnight, “three drones were observed over Isfahan. The air defense system activated and destroyed these drones in the sky.”

The broadcaster later said the situation in Isfahan was normal and there had been no ground explosions.

Israel has said it would retaliate for a weekend attack by Iran involving hundreds of drones and missiles in response to a suspected attack on its embassy compound in Syria.

Most Iranian drones and missiles are shot down before reaching Israeli territory.

Analysts and observers have expressed concern about the risk of the Israel-Gaza war spreading to other parts of the region.

Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi warned Israel ahead of Friday’s attack that Tehran would respond “harshly” to any attack on its territory.

Iran told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that Israel “must be forced to cease any further military adventurism that harms our interests” as the UN chief warned that the Middle East was at its “most dangerous moment”.

This emergency is being updated