Explosions were heard in Iran after Israel launched missile strikes in retaliation for a barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles fired by Tehran over the weekend, three U.S. news organizations reported.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said on Friday local time that explosions were heard near the airport at the central city of Isfahan. ABC, CBS and NPR, each citing at least one unnamed American official, reported that Israel was responsible.
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“The cause of these sounds is still unknown, and investigations continue until the exact details of the incident are determined,” Fars reported.
Reuters, citing an Iranian official, said air defenses had been activated around Isfahan. Airports were closed in Tehran, the news service reported.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli and U.S. officials.
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It was unclear what targets had been hit inside Iran.
The U.S. on Thursday announced a fresh set of sanctions targeting Iran’s production of unmanned aerial vehicles, while Tehran warned Israel it would review its official stance on nuclear weapons if its atomic facilities were attacked.
Israel, the U.S. and other regional and Western allies joined forces on Saturday to blast hundreds of Iranian drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles out of the sky after they were fired at Israel.
That attack was itself an act of retaliation after Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khameni, blamed Israel for an airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, that killed several people including a leading Revolutionary Guards commander.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel launches airstrike; explosions heard in central Iran: Reports
