The Benjamin Netanyahu-led Israeli government has conducted strikes on a target in Iran, defying President Joe Biden’s warnings over plunging the Middle East further into conflict.
Africa Today News, New York reports that US officials on Friday morning confirmed strikes hit a site in Iran, however, it was yet to be ascertained what exact target was hit or the extent of the damage.
Officials say the city of Isfahan in central Iran was struck at 5am local time. The city hosts one of Iran’s nuclear facilities, although US military sources reportedly said the target was not believed to be nuclear.
Iranian news outlet FARS reported that the strikes were located ‘near Isfahan Airport and the eighth hunting base of the Army Air Force.’
IRNA, the Iranian state news outlet, said the nation’s air defense systems had been activated, but ‘so far, no large-scale strikes or explosions by any air threat have been reported.’
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Reports citing senior US military sources contradicted this and claimed that targets were hit. No official comment has been released by either Israel, Iran or the US.
It comes in response to Iran launching a barrage of hundreds of drones and rockets at Israel on Saturday, which was largely thwarted by Israel and its international allies. Isfahan was one of several launch sites used in the attack.
Biden had warned Israel not to retaliate to Saturday’s strikes and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ‘take the win’ of the foiled Iranian attack.
Meanwhile, Biden on Wednesday urged lawmakers to pass stalled legislation that would provide billions in military and other aid to Israel citing Iran’s weekend attack against the US ally.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York, Biden wrote, “[If] Iran succeeds in significantly escalating its assault on Israel, the US could be drawn in.
Biden’s appeal has come just days after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones on Sunday, in retaliation for a deadly Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital, Damascus, earlier this month.