Israel and Iran’s shadow war has developed into a hot war, where they’re now engaging in active military hostilities rather than simply using proxies and sanctions.
How Did We Get Here
Earlier this month, Iran accused Israel of bombing its diplomatic complex in Syria, and said the strike would be met with “punishment and revenge”.
On 13 April, Iran carried out its “revenge” by launching a direct attack on Israel.
Iran launched more than 300 projectiles at Israel, though “99%” of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel’s aerial defense systems and its allies, including the US.
Following this attack, Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said Israel will exact a price from Iran when the time is “right”.
It seems the time is now “right”, as Israel reportedly just launched an attack against Iran today.
Israel Retaliates
In the early morning of 19 April, Iranian media reported explosions.
The blasts were caused by “air defence systems firing at a suspicious object,” an Iranian senior military commander said, according to Iran’s state-aligned Tasnim news agency.
Blasts of light were seen in the sky.
Israel missile strike targeted a site in Iran
Explosions in Isfahan in central Iran, in the As-Suwayda Governorate of southern Syria, and in the Baghdad area and Babil Governorate of Iraq pic.twitter.com/vFPVeEGGuU
— Sumit (@SumitHansd) April 19, 2024
No large-scale strikes or explosions caused by any air threat has been reported.
Israel Warned the US in Advance
After Iran’s attack on Israel last week, the US has been urging Israel not to retaliate.
Officials said Israel warned the Biden administration yesterday that a strike was coming in the next 24 to 48 hours.
The US did not endorse the response.
US officials have confirmed that today’s attack was carried out by Israel, though Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
Iranian state TV said that shortly after midnight local time (about 5am Singapore time), “three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan. The air defence system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky”.
Isfahan is home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear programme.
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Prior to the attack, Israel assured the US that Iran’s nuclear facilities would not be targeted.
A senior Iranian official said that Iran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel
The Area Is “Fully Safe”
According to the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran’s nuclear sites have not been damaged by Israel’s strike. State TV described all sites in the area as “fully safe”.
Reports said that all facilities in the area, including sensitive military and security installations, are secure.
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that airports in Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan were closed and flights were cleared from the Western half of Iran.
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Hours later, flights resumed at Mehrabad Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport, the two major airports in Tehran.
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