United States: In a communication to CNN on Friday, a US official disclosed that Israel had conducted a military operation within Iran, marking a potentially hazardous escalation in an increasingly expansive conflict in the Middle East, which Iranian government officials have thus far sought to downplay.
According to state media early Friday morning, Iran’s air defense systems were activated in Isfahan and Tabriz following three explosions near a major military airbase close to Isfahan. Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iran’s army commander-in-chief, reported to Iranian state news IRNA that the explosions over Isfahan were linked to anti-aircraft systems firing at what he described as a suspicious object. Other Iranian authorities stated that air defenses intercepted three drones with no mention of a missile attack, according to CNN Politics.
The source of the strike on Iran has not been identified by Iran.
A second senior US official mentioned that the United States had been notified in advance on Thursday of an impending Israeli strike in the upcoming days but did not support the action. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later affirmed that the US “has not been engaged in any offensive operations” but was concentrating on Israel’s defense and de-escalation.
At a news conference concluding a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) nations in Capri, Italy, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani remarked that the US was “informed at the last minute” about the attack on Iran, which Blinken also attended.

Numerous state-aligned news outlets reported that facilities associated with Iran’s nuclear program remained secure, indicating that the attack seemed to be limited in its impact.
Iranian media seemed to minimize the severity of the attack on Friday, portraying tranquil scenes from Isfahan with residents strolling through parks and visiting landmarks. Traffic was reported as normal, and the airport reopened after temporary flight cancellations or suspensions early Friday.
The reports of Friday’s strike emerged shortly after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned CNN that if Israel took further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”
The Middle East remains on edge following Iran’s unprecedented direct strike against Israel late Saturday. The attack, in which Iran launched over 300 drones and cruise missiles toward Israel, was in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, resulting in the death of a top commander and several others.
Additionally, “material losses” were reported in southern Syria following an Israeli strike targeting “our air defense sites in the southern region,” according to Syrian state media SANA citing a military source on Friday. The Israeli military declined to comment on reports from foreign media, as CNN mentioned.
The Israeli military stated its inability to comment on Friday when questioned by CNN regarding reports of explosions in Iran.
At the conclusion of their three-day gathering in Capri, the G7 urged all parties in the region to “prevent further escalation.” Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi cautioned that the strikes risked “dragging the region into further conflict,” emphasizing the need for an end to “Israeli-Iranian retaliations.”
Hours earlier, Iran had warned of a “maximum” response. Israel’s action in Iran represents the latest escalation in a region shaken by Israel’s devastating conflict in Gaza following Hamas’ aggressive October 7 assault. This attack resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and the capture of more than 200 others.
Israel’s assault on Gaza has led to the deaths of over 33,000 Palestinians, as reported by Palestinian officials, causing extensive destruction and precipitating a humanitarian crisis where over 1 million people face “catastrophic” levels of starvation.

Before Israel’s strike on Friday, the US anticipated that the country would refrain from targeting Iran’s civilian or nuclear facilities, as per the senior US official.
Israel had informed the US that its response to the weekend attacks would be limited in scope, as previously reported by CNN. US intelligence suggested that Israel was contemplating a focused and restricted strike within Iran, feeling compelled to respond with some form of kinetic action given the unprecedented scale of the Iranian attack.
The senior official added that the range of targets was “never specified in precise terms,” but it was clear that nuclear and civilian locations were not included.
Calls for restraint have been echoed by Israel’s Western allies in the aftermath of Iran’s Saturday attack, alongside appeals for caution.
US President Joe Biden advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider Iran’s strikes a success, given their limited effectiveness, which showcased Israel’s ability to defend itself, CNN outlined.
Biden had already informed Netanyahu that the US would not partake in any offensive operations against Iran in response, according to a senior administration official who previously spoke to CNN.
Benny Gantz, a key figure in Israel’s war cabinet, advocated for a swift response to the attack, according to two Israeli officials who spoke to CNN, arguing that delaying the response would make it increasingly difficult to garner international support.
Some hardline officials went even further. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir suggested that Israel should respond aggressively. Ben Gvir appeared to criticize Israel’s reported strike, posting a one-word response on X early Friday morning – a colloquial term meaning “lame” or “weak.”
Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, condemned Ben Gvir’s remark as “unforgivable.”
“Never before has a minister in the security cabinet caused such significant damage to the country’s security, its reputation, and its international standing,” Lapid remarked.
Jasmine El-Gamal, a former Middle East adviser to the US Defense Department, stated that the tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran were about “posturing and messaging.”
“Neither side, obviously, is willing or ready to escalate into an all-out war. The Israelis, in particular, cannot engage in an all-out war without full military and political support from the Americans, which President Biden has made clear he is unwilling to provide,” she explained, as mentioned by CNN.
El-Gamal suggested that Israel’s reported strike was intended to convey to Iran, “We can access your nuclear sites if we choose. We know their locations, and even though we did not strike them this time – we are capable of doing so.”