(Reuters) — Israeli missiles reportedly struck a site in Iran, as per a late Thursday report from ABC News, citing a US official. Simultaneously, Iranian state media noted an explosion in the central region of the country. The exact details are yet to be confirmed by Reuters.
Fars news agency in Iran mentioned an explosion at an airport in Isfahan, though the cause remains unclear. Subsequently, Iran suspended flights over Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran, according to state media. Notably, Isfahan province hosts several Iranian nuclear facilities, including Natanz, which is pivotal to Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts.
In response to these developments, Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport halted all flights until 0700 GMT, as indicated by a notice to airmen on a US Federal Aviation Administration database. Additionally, some Emirates and Flydubai flights altered their paths away from Iranian airspace early Friday, as shown by Flightradar24.
Israel had previously vowed retaliation for Iran’s weekend attack, purportedly involving numerous drones and missiles, following a suspected strike on its embassy compound in Syria. Although most Iranian projectiles were intercepted before reaching Israeli territory, tensions in the region have escalated.
Observers have expressed concerns over the potential escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict throughout the broader region. Iran urged the United Nations Security Council to compel Israel to cease further military actions, while the UN secretary-general cautioned about the heightened risk in the Middle East.
Financial markets reacted swiftly to the news of the reported Israeli strike. Brent crude futures surged 2% to $88.86 a barrel, the dollar strengthened broadly, gold prices rose by 1%, and S&P 500 futures dropped by 1%.
