Israeli missiles struck a site in Iran, according to reports late Thursday. Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported an explosion in central Iran, following Iran’s drone attack on Israel a few days earlier.
The Fars news agency in Iran reported that an explosion was heard at Isfahan’s airport, though the cause remained unclear. Flight operations over Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran were halted, according to state media.
Several of Iran’s nuclear facilities, including the prominent Natanz uranium enrichment site, are situated in Isfahan province.
A notice in the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration database indicated that Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport would be closed to all flights until 07:00 GMT.
According to Flightradar24, some Emirates and Flydubai aircraft made abrupt detours while flying over Iran early on Friday.
Israel had announced its intention to respond to Iran’s attack over the weekend, which involved the deployment of numerous drones and missiles following a suspected Israeli attack on its embassy in Syria.
A majority of these drones and missiles were intercepted before they could enter Israeli airspace.
Concerns have been mounting among analysts about the potential for the Israel-Gaza conflict to escalate further across the region.
On Thursday, Iran informed the United Nations Security Council that Israel should be stopped from further military actions against its interests, as the U.N. Secretary-General highlighted the extreme danger currently faced by the Middle East.
Following the news of the Israeli attack, oil prices surged. Brent crude futures increased by 2% to $88.86 a barrel, the dollar strengthened, gold prices rose by 1%, and S&P 500 futures fell by 1%.
The conflict in Gaza, initiated by Israel, began following an attack by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli fatalities, according to Israeli counts.
The Israeli military campaign has led to over 33,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, as reported by the local health ministry.
Iran-backed groups have declared support for the Palestinians, launching attacks from Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq.
