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BLITZING BACK
Israel launches revenge strike on Iran base near nuke site as world nervously waits with Middle East teetering on brink
Iranian state TV tried to desperately downplay the assault this morning with video of a 'tranquil' Isfahan
ISRAEL launched a revenge attack on Iranian soil days after Tehran unleashed an unprecedented missile and drone blitz.
The strike hit a major Iranian air force base next door to one of its prized nuclear sites near the city of Isfahan.
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US officials confirmed that Israel's revenge for Iran's 330 kamikaze drone and ballistic missile blitz had begun early this morning after days of threats.
Sources said an Israeli missile successfully hit the air base in the latest concerning Middle East development stoking fears of an all-out war.
Iranian state TV launched into damage control claiming three drones were "destroyed" by its air defence batteries and no ground damage was caused.
The precision strike hit just next door to one of Iran's nuclear sites, sources told the Jerusalem Post.
Blasts were also heard in Iraq and Syria in what appeared to be further hits on Iranian puppet terror groups across the Middle East.
The full scale of the surprise strike - launched just hours after Israeli sources said they would hold off their response - remains unclear.
Iranian media confirmed at least one explosion was heard in Qahjavaristan - just outside Isfahan near an airport and army air force HQ.
The army base is tied to Iran's aircraft production - possibly where the attack drones it used against Israel are made.
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Unconfirmed Twitter footage appeared to show explosions on the ground as air defence batteries fought off strikes in the sky.
This morning state TV released footage of Isfahan's "tranquil atmosphere" in a desperate attempt to downplay the embarrassment of Israel's surprise ambush.
A senior Iranian official said its military was not planning an immediate response to the attack, declaring it was "unclear who is behind it".
Analysts said an Iranian counter-strike would be much more likely if TV reports had expressed outrage and showed pictures of damage.
The attack, which hit shortly after midnight, struck on Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's birthday.
Flights to Iran's capital Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz were grounded for a time overnight.
- Israel launched a suspected drone attack around the Iranian city of Isfahan early this morning
- Iran activated its air defence batteries and temporarily grounded flights as it braced for impact
- Iranian state media desperately downplayed the attack this morning, insisting it was a failed strike that caused no damage
- US officials said Israel successfully hit at least one target
- Reported possible targets around the city included a nuclear base and an Iranian air force HQ
- International nuclear watchdog the IAEA said that no damage was sustained to the nuclear site
- More blasts were heard in southern Syria and Iraqi capital Baghdad - with no confirmation of Israeli origin
- Israel has so far made no comment confirming the strike
- Netanyahu's war cabinet had reportedly told the US they would hold off an attack on Iran until the end of April
Nuclear site target
One of Iran’s fortified underground nuclear plants is near the air base in Isfahan but there was no confirmation that it had been directly targeted.
Concerning reports first surfaced almost two weeks ago that Israel could be planning to hit Iranian nuclear hubs.
Israeli forces were even said to be conducting secret air force drills in preparation for the dangerous escalation.
And the UN's nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warned that Israel could indeed target Iran's nuclear sites.
Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, vowed today that nuclear facilities in Isfahan are “completely safe.”
And international nuclear watchdog the IAEA confirmed this morning that no damage was sustained to a nuclear site.
Grossi reiterated calls for "extreme restraint" as the agency said they would continue to monitor the situation closely.
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I blasted Iranian drones in daring ‘Top Gun meets Star Wars’ mission to thwart attack of Israel which nearly sparked WW3
More blasts were heard in the As-Suwayda Governorate of southern Syria and near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, but there was no confirmation of Israeli origin.
Syrian state media says the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) struck their air defence positions in the south of the country - causing material damage just before 3am.
Trading threats
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari warned after Iran's missile attack: “We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression, Iran will not get [off] scot-free with this aggression.
“We will respond in our time, in our place, in the way that we will choose."
Tehran hit back that it would respond with an assault “tenfold” the size of Saturday’s huge attack if Israel dared to strike any target on its soil.
Then hours before last night's attack, Israeli sources had indicated that Israel would not attack until after the end of the Jewish Passover religious holiday on April 30.
But the briefings appear to have been a ruse as several US officials confirmed action was underway.
Hossein Dalirian, spokesperson for the Iran's National Centre of Cyberspace, outright denied an external Israeli attack.
He wrote on X: "There has been no air attack from outside borders to Isfahan or other parts of the country."
He added that Israel had "only made a failed and humiliating attempt to fly quadcopters [drones] and the quadcopters have also been shot down."
But Iran's FARS news agency did report that three explosions were heard near the military base in Isfahan.
"The defense is activated in response to an object that is likely to be a drone," sources told the outlet.
FARS reportedly claimed that the army radar was a potential target.
Iranian military officials have not publicly commented on the attack.
Israel maintained a stony silence and made no comment on the action, suggesting it is reverting to a long-running “shadow war” with its arch-enemy.
The initial moves by both sides were being interpreted as attempts to de-escalate the crisis amid World War Three fears.
But analysts still described the Isfahan attack - five days after Iran’s flop drone and missile blitz was blocked by Israel’s Iron Dome defences and war jets - as “an extremely dangerous moment.”
The Sun previously laid out the terrifying war simulation that explains how a war between Iran and Israel would unfold, and quickly go nuclear.
US officials confirmed that they were given notice of an “imminent” Israeli attack shortly before the early hours strike.
Downing Street has already spoken out about last night's ambush.
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The Prime Minister's office said Israel has a right to self defence but added: “we have been stressing to Israelis that what matters now is de-escalation".
It also said the source of the strikes has not been officially confirmed.
Middle East expert analysis on Israel's revenge strike
MIDDLE East expert Yakov Katz, senior fellow at the Jewish Policy Institute, spoke to The Sun about last night's events.
Katz told The Sun that Israel is trying to send a message, saying: "We can attack you in Iran."
But he says it goes beyond that, selecting a target important enough to "deter the Iranians" but one that is "not too big and not too important".
This is to make sure Iran knows that was it did "is not tolerable" whilst preventing a "wider and more extensive conflict with Israel".
He adds that "the ball is now in [Iran's] court".
"The Iranians now will have to decide what they want to do. And as we speak, based on how they've been responding, it seems that they also want to contain this.
"They're downplaying the significance of everything."
Iran, Katz says, wants to make it seem that "no one was able to infiltrate their airspace".
If the attack did as reports say involve Israeli drones - Katz thinks they will have been sent by Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, and not its armed forces.
Katz explains it could be a way of saying "'Let's keep it down. Let's not increase the flames and the tension here. We've all gotten in our hits, and now we can call it a day.'"
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Iran's aerial attack on Israel
IRAN launched an unprecedented aerial barrage on Israel overnight on Saturday April 13.
BY ELLIE DOUGHTY
In the first attack of its kind, Iran hurled 110 ballistic missiles, 36 cruise missiles and 185 attack drones across Middle Eastern airspace.
Between Israel's impressive Iron Dome air defence system and allied efforts from the UK and US, Tehran's attack was largely thwarted.
At least four Typhoon fighters took out some of the weapons bound for Israel after scrambling from the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the ambush as a "declaration of war".
Despite worldwide calls for cool heads to prevail, Netanyahu's ranks repeatedly insisted that a retaliatory strike would be the only response.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: “We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression, Iran will not get [off] scot-free with this aggression.
“We will respond in our time, in our place, in the way that we will choose."
Iran's Supreme National Security Council vowed to hit back against Israel if a counter-attack was launched.
US president Joe Biden, said to privately fear a catastrophic escalation in the Middle East, pushed Netanyahu to call off an immediate retaliation on Saturday night.
Israel's war cabinet then spent days locked in crunch meetings and quickly approved plans for an "offensive" but the timing and scale remained murky.
Despite Israel claiming otherwise, the US made clear that it would not contribute to a revenge hit against Iran.