The Times of Israel newspaper and the Ynet news website reported that at least three drones were launched against a base near the city of Isfahan, in the center of the country. Israeli authorities also confirmed the operation to the American newspapers The Washington Post and The New York Times without offering further details.

US officials described the attack as “limited” in statements to Fox News and CNN. However, Iranian authorities and media denied this version.

According to the spokesman for the Iranian Space Agency, Hossein Dalirian, the air defense successfully shot down several unmanned vehicles and denied the launch of missiles. Iranian state television stated that the drones were operated by “infiltrators from inside the country.”

A senior Iranian officer said that the “noise heard during the night in Isfahan was caused by the air defense system operating against suspicious objects.”

Israel promised to respond to the recent attack by some 350 Iranian missiles and drones, which the Tehran government considered retaliation for the bombing of its consulate in Damascus, causing numerous deaths, including high-ranking personnel from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s executive remains silent about this Friday’s operation, while Iran downplays the event, as a sign that both sides are seeking to distance themselves from conflict after international pressure for them to moderate themselves, The Times of Israel estimated.

jrr/llp/jha/rob