Israel reportedly launched retaliatory strikes against Iran and its proxies early Friday morning in response to Tehran’s unprecedented attack last weekend, CBS News reported.
A missile hit Iran in Isfahan while around the same time, explosions were reported in southern Syria and Baghdad.
US officials confirmed to CBS News that an Israeli missile hit Iran.
Meanwhile, a Syrian military official told Syria’s state-run news agency that a missile strike in southern Syria caused material damage to an air defense unit.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the missile struck a radar installation.
In Baghdad, residents reported hearing explosions, however, the source was unclear.
Iranian officials are downplaying the attack, with the state-run IRNA news agency claiming that the country’s defense systems shot down three small drones over Isfahan and no missile was fired.
Isfahan is the site of several of Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that none of the nuclear sites were targeted in the attack.
The Washington Post reported that the head of Iran’s army, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, claimed that the explosions heard in Isfahan were from anti-aircraft defense systems. Mousavi claimed that no damage was caused.
Israeli officials have remained silent largely about the strikes, however, a senior Israeli official confirmed to the Washington Post that the attack was a “signal to Iran that Israel can attack its territory.”
Tally Gotlov, a member of the Israel Likud party, celebrated the strikes in a post on X, describing Israel as “a strong and powerful country” and saying that Israelis held their heads “high with pride.”
The Former head of Mossad, Efraim Halevi told CBS News that while the attack was not proportionate to Iran’s attack on Israel, it was “enough to send the message” to Tehran.
Many social media users pointed out that the strikes on Iran came on the Ayatollah’s birthday.
