Several explosions were reported early Friday, April 19, in central Iran, with senior U.S. officials reporting an Israeli attack in retaliation for unprecedented drone and missile strikes against Israel last weekend.
In initial reactions, still very cautious, political leaders called to “avoid an escalation.’ The Iranian Tasnim news agency, however, indicated, citing "well-informed sources" that there was "no information indicating an attack from abroad. " The White House, on the other hand, did not immediately make an official comment. But NBC and CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter and a US official respectively, reported that Israel had warned Washington in advance of the strike, without the United States approving the operation or not participating in its execution. The head of Italian diplomacy Antonio Tajani, who is chairing a meeting of his G7 counterparts in Capri, called on Friday "for caution and to avoid escalation. "The G7 wants absolute de-escalation in a region plagued by serious tension, he added.