Israel Reportedly Launches Retaliatory Airstrike Into Iran

Israel launched missiles toward Iran on Thursday evening—the first retaliatory strike to follow an Iranian missile and drone attack on Israeli soil last weekend, U.S. officials told CBS and ABC News.

It’s unclear how many missiles—if any—reached Iran and how effective they may have been on impact.

The country’s anti-missile defenses were activated early Friday near the city of Isfahan, according to the Associated Press, citing the Iranian state-run IRNA news agency. Isfahan is the country’s third-most populous city and the site of a nuclear technology center.

The Israeli Defense Forces did not immediately comment on the attack.

Iran announced that all commercial flights in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and much of the west-central region of the country had been grounded, according to the AP. Separate footage reportedly showed Tehran’s airport announcing over an intercom that all flights were canceled.

Iranian state TV reported there was a “loud sound” heard in Iran’s Isfahan province, ABC reported, suggesting at least one missile may have penetrated air defense systems.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps also released footage that appeared to show the country’s air defenses intercepting missiles.

The Israeli military said on Monday that it planned to retaliate against Iran, but provided no details on what that attack would entail. Reports suggested it could attack Iranian facilities or include cyberattacks in order to avoid civilian casualties. Bloomberg News reported that Israeli officials alerted the U.S. on Thursday morning that it planned to strike Iran in the next 24 to 48 hours.

The attack comes two weeks after Tehran vowed to punish Israel for the assassination of a top commander at an Iranian mission on April 1. Iran then launched a barrage of over 300 munitions against Israel on April 13, the majority of which were thwarted by Israeli and American antimissile systems.

Iran Issues Unprecedented Nuclear Threat in Duel With Israel

Earlier Thursday, Iran said it was considering a change to its nuclear “doctrine,” threatening a potential break from the publicly stated “peaceful” objectives of its nuclear program.

The Israeli attack comes as top U.S. officials and other allies have been seeking to temper tensions behind the scenes, urging Israel against escalatory responses.

Iranian officials have previously said that any Israeli retaliation against the state would lead to a “severe response” from Tehran, but there was no indication of an immediate response by Iran after the latest strike.

“If the Zionist regime [Israel] or its supporters demonstrate reckless behaviour, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response,” Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said in a previous statement.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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