BIG EXPLOSIONS IN IRAN DUE TO ISRAELI ATTACKS. Air Defenses activated in Isfahan, Teheran and Shiraz (Video)
By Gospa News Editorial Staff
The drones that were allegedly launched by Israel and then were shot down over the central Iranian city of Isfahan have caused neither material nor physical damage, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said.
“[Israel’s] supporters in the media tried in vain to convert their another defeat to victory and exaggerate this situation, while the downed quadcopters caused neither material nor physical damage,” he said in a statement posted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Telegram channel.
This is how the minister commented on the fact that several drones had been intercepted by the national air defense forces over Isfahan.
The Sound of Big Explosions
The sound of explosions has been heard near the central Iranian city of Isfahan due to the activation of air defenses, informed sources say.
«Initial reports say important facilities in the Isfahan province, especially nuclear facilities, are completely safe and no accidents have been reported» according to Iranian Press TV.
Following the activation of air defenses in Isfahan and northwestern city of Tabriz to deal with possible targets, no large-scale hit and explosion caused by any air threat has been reported.
“The sound was related to Isfahan’s air defense firing at suspicious objects and we have not had any damage or accident,” Brigadier Mihandoust, a senior Army official in Isfahan province, said Friday.
Video shows the moment Iran’s air defense shot down several mini quadcopters near Isfahan
Video shows the moment Iran's air defense shot down several mini quadcopters near Isfahan. pic.twitter.com/93dwwtAzPz
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 19, 2024
A senior Iranian official told Reuters Friday after a reported strike by Israel that there is no plan for immediate retaliation and no clarification on who is behind the incident.
An Israeli official told the Washington Post Friday that the Israel Defense Forces had carried out an airstrike inside Iran in retaliation for Iran’s barrage of roughly 350 missiles and drones launched overnight into Sunday. The official said the strike “was intended to signal to Iran that Israel had the ability to strike inside the country,” the Washington Post reported.
Iran suspends flights above several cities amid reports of air attack
Iran suspended flights above some of its cities, such as Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran, the IRNA news agency reported.
Besides, air defense systems were activated in Isfahan, Reuters said citing an Iranian source. Presumably, the systems reacted to a drone.
IRNA said air defenses were in action in several Iranian provinces. According to CNN, at least eight flights were diverted from their courses amid reports of Israel’s possible missile strike on Iran.
The Mehr news agency, in turn, reported that Tehran International Airport cancelled international flights until 10:00 a.m. Moscow time (7:00 a.m. GMT).
Earlier, Fars said that at least three explosions occurred in the province of Isfahan. According to Bloomberg, Israel informed the United States on Thursday about its plans to strike Iran within the next 24-48 hours.
CNN reported, with reference to a US official, that the strikes came as a response to Iran’s aerial attack on Israel on April 13. Fox News, in turn, said the Jewish state delivered a limited strike on Iran.
Reports of the explosions came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Houssein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that Iran’s response would be “immediate and at a maximum level,” if Israel takes any further military action against his country.
“If the Israeli regime commits the grave error once again our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them,” he stated, explaining that warning was sent to the White House via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.
Iran Airports Company confirmed that normal operations have resumed for flights at Iranian airports including Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran after temporary delays.
Israeli fighter jets bomb positions in southwestern Syria, neighboring Iraq
Israeli military aircraft have reportedly carried out a string of airstrikes against positions in Syria’s southwestern provinces of Daraa and As-Suwayda as well as neighboring Iraq.
Sabereen News, a Telegram news channel associated with Iraqi anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), reported that the warplanes targeted a radar site, which lies between the town of Izra’ and Qarfa village, early on Friday.
There were no immediate reports about the extent of damage caused and possible casualties.
Israeli fighter jets also bombed al-Thalaa Airport in Syria’s southwestern province of As-Suwayda.
Additionally, the sound of three explosions was heard close to Bismayah, situated about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad, with no reports of casualties immediately available.
Several blasts also rattled through the northern part of Iraq’s central province of Babylon.
Drone alert sirens go off in northern occupied lands
Operation True Promise yields four ‘historic’ achievements, says top commander
«Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Force Brigadier General Kioumars Haydari says Iran’s recent retaliatory operation against Israel constituted four historic achievements, noting that the operation changed the balance of power in the region» reported Iranian PRESS TV two hours after the Israeli attacks on Iran.
Addressing worshippers at the weekly Friday Prayers in the capital Tehran, Haydari stated that Operation True Promise had four achievements, and firstly showed in a practical and decisive way that the regime is weaker than a spider’s web, as Iranian drones and precision-strike missiles penetrated through Israel’s so-called Iron Dome system.
The operation was also in line with the order of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei that the Israeli regimes has to be punished, the commander added, noting that the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) jointly gave a punitive response to Israel.
“The third achievement of Operation True Promise was, therefore, that it shattered the Zionist regime’s invincibility myth,” Haydari said.
He went on to underscore that the operation also changed the balance of power in the region in favor of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and established the superior prowess of Iranian Armed Forces.
“The regime should know that if it commits a new mistake, it will be punished much harder and more severely,” he warned.
“Regional countries have been told many times that the presence of foreigners cannot ensure their security and national interests, and that unity and focus on convergent issues can best help security across the region,” he said, adding, “Operation True Promise showed that the Islamic Republic has the upper hand in the region, and can provide security without the interference of any foreign power.”
