Israel attacked targets in Iran early this Friday, five days after the Iranian offensive with drones and missiles against Israeli territory. The objective of the operation, a response to the Iranian attack at the weekend, was Isfahan, where the heart of the country's nuclear program is located.
Tehran denies the missile attack and says it has shot down three drones. Early information suggests that Israel has carried out a moderate retaliation operation amid constant international calls for containment. The United States has not participated in an operation that it had been warned about by its ally in the last few hours. No data on possible victims or material damage, although, in principle, no nuclear facilities have been hit nor large explosions have been seen, local media report. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stated that none of Iran's nuclear facilities have been damaged. The Iranian Airports and Air Navigation Company, cited by IRNA, air traffic in the country has already been restored. It was the official television of the Islamic Republic of Iran that reported the downing of several Israeli drones. Iran launched hundreds of devices over different Israeli regions. Tehran's offensive was a response to the bombing carried out by Israel on the Iranian consulate in Damascus (Syria) on April 1. The IAEA had already expressed its fear that a possible Israeli attack would reach Iran's nuclear facilities, according to the head of that institution, Rafael Grossi. The United States on Thursday announced new sanctions against Iran and that country's drone industry and missile program, in a coordinated punishment with the United Kingdom. The European Union has also announced that it will consider imposing similar measures on Tehran. Meanwhile, in Gaza, where almost 34,000 Palestinians have died since the war began on October 7, Israeli attacks continue. The Israeli army still maintains its presence in the air, despite the movement of troops around the south of the Strip, the incursion into Rafah announced weeks ago. That southern town of the enclave, bordering Egypt and where nearly a million and a half Gazans hit by the humanitarian crisis are crowded, is the only one left for Israeli troops to occupy.