A US official confirmed the attack to CNN, reports that were corroborated by several other international media outlets, including BBC and Al Jazeera.
However, an Iranian official told CNN that their air defenses intercepted three drones, insisting that there were no reports of a missile attack.
The BBC reported that blasts were heard in the central province of Isfahan but noted that the target of the attack remains unclear.
The strike came against the backdrop of Iran's support for the Palestinian Hamas militant group, whose assault into Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered Israel's invasion of Gaza.
Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel on Saturday night in a retaliatory attack, which the country attributed to an Israeli raid on the Iranian consulate in Syria that killed seven senior military personnel.
On Sunday, the country urged Israel not to retaliate, saying 'the matter can be deemed concluded." Iran, while acknowledging its commitment to resolving the conflict amicably, warned that any further provocations would result in a severe response.
'The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right of self-defense when required. Should the Israeli regime commit any military aggression again, Iran's response will assuredly and decisively be stronger and more resolute,' Iran's Mission to the United Nations warned, even as it accused the United Nations Security Council of failing to stop Israel's aggression.
Israel's army declared the Iran attacks "foiled" on Sunday, insisting that it had shot down 99 percent of the drones and missiles with the help of the United States and other allies.
Iran's attack received condemnation from United States President Joe Biden that resulted in further sanctions on the country on Thursday.
Biden, in a statement, said the sanctions target 'leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's Defense Ministry, and the Iranian government's missile and drone program that enabled' the April 13 attack on Israel.
'As I discussed with my fellow G7 [Group of Seven] leaders the morning after the attack, we are committed to acting collectively to increase economic pressure on Iran,' the US president said.
'And our allies and partners have or will issue additional sanctions and measures to restrict Iran's destabilizing military programs.'
UN Secretary-General António Guterres had also condemned Iran's attack on Israel, warning that the serious escalation of the conflict between the two countries poses a real danger of a regional war.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/politics-48/article/israel-responds-with-retaliatory-strikes-against-iran
