Iran has reportedly fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near its city of Isfahan after detecting drones in the area.
The incident has raised concerns about a potential retaliatory strike from Israel following Iran’s recent drone-and-missile assault on the country.
The Israeli military has not commented on the situation, and no Iranian officials have directly acknowledged the possibility of an Israeli attack. Tensions in the region have been heightened since Israel’s strikes targeting Iran in Syria and its ongoing conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The apparent attack occurred on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s 85th birthday, and Israeli politicians have made comments suggesting Israeli involvement. Iranian state television reported that air defense batteries fired in several provinces in response to reports of drones in the air.
Iranian army commander Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi stated that crews targeted multiple flying objects, one of which resulted in an explosion that did not cause any damage. There are speculations that the drones involved may be commercially available quadcopters.
Videos from the area show anti-aircraft gun positions near the Isfahan air base and details that match the known features of Iran’s Uranium Conversion Facility at Isfahan.
