Israel strikes site in Iran in retaliation for weekend assault: source
Israel carried out limited strikes in Iran early Friday in retaliation for Tehran firing a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel last Saturday.
A well-placed military source has told Fox News that the strike was “limited.” Sources familiar said the U.S. was not involved and there was pre-notification to the U.S. from the Israelis.
Fox News confirmed there have been explosions in Iran’s Isfahan province, which is where Natanz, one of Iran’s nuclear facilities, is located.
Though it was initially unclear if the facility was hit, state television described all sites in the area as “fully safe” and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on X Friday morning that there is no damage.
Details surrounding the intended target of the strike – if there was one – were not immediately available, but Fox News was able to confirm the target was “not nuclear or civilian.”
The foreign ministers of the G7 released a joint statement Friday condemning Iran for attacking Israel last weekend and urged both sides to “prevent further escalation.”
The statement said the ministers “condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel of April 13-14, which Israel defeated with the help of its partners.
“This was a dangerous escalation, as Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones,” it added.
“Israel and its people have our full solidarity and support and we reaffirm our commitment towards Israel’s security,” the ministers also said. “Iran’s actions mark an unacceptable step towards the destabilization of the region and a further escalation, which must be avoided. In light of reports of strikes on April 19th, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation. The G7 will continue to work to this end.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when asked about Israel’s strikes on Iran Friday, said “I’m not going to speak to that except to say that the United States has not been involved in any offensive operations.”
“What we’re focused on, what the G7 is focused on, and again, it’s reflected in our statement and in our conversation, is our work to de-escalate tensions, to de-escalate from any potential conflict. You saw Israel on the receiving end of an unprecedented attack,” he added. “But our focus has been on, of course, making sure that Israel can effectively defend itself, but also de-escalating tensions, avoiding conflict.”
The semiofficial Fars news agency in Iran reported on the sound of explosions over Isfahan near its international airport. It offered no explanation for the blast. However, Isfahan is home to a major airbase for the Iranian military, as well as sites associated with its nuclear program.
A senior Iranian official allegedly told Reuters that Iran has no plans to immediately respond to the Israeli strike, which was described differently on Iranian state media. The explosions heard in Isfahan were allegedly a result of the country’s air defense systems activating and not a missile attack, the official told Reuters.
Former Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus wrote on X while Iran appears to downplay the strike, he “think[s] they’ve gotten the message.”
Iran temporarily grounded commercial flights in Tehran and across areas of its western and central regions in response to the attack. Restrictions have since been lifted on flights to and from Khomeini and Mehrabad international airports in Tehran, according to Iranian news agency Tasnim.
Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting around western Iran at 4:30 a.m. local time.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, FlyDubai said flight FZ 1929 from Dubai to Tehran on Friday morning returned to Dubai because the Imam Khomeini International Airport was closed. The airline also said all of its flights to Iran on Friday have been canceled.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is our priority. We are monitoring the situation closely and will make changes to our flight paths in consultation with the relevant authorities,” a FlyDubai spokesperson said. “We will share any further updates once more information becomes available.”
ISRAEL’S ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY ON FULL DISPLAY DURING IRAN’S ATTACK
In response to Israel’s reported strike on Iran, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security notice Friday morning “out of an abundance of caution” restricting U.S. government employees and their family members from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva areas until further notice.
Iran attacked Israel over the weekend in retaliation for a deadly strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria earlier this month that killed a dozen people, including a top general. Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack.
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The Biden administration is considering supplying more than $1 billion in new weaponry to Israel, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News. The request from Israel is recent and under initial review, and the deals have not been approved yet, the source said.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the deals, which include $700 million in 120 mm tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and under $100 million in 120 mm mortar rounds, according to the newspaper.
They would need to be approved by congressional leaders and could take up to several years to be delivered, it added.
The weekend attack by Iran marked a major escalation of violence. Despite decades of hostilities between the two nations, Iran has never directly attacked Israel, instead relying on proxy forces in Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.