by Mick the Ram

US officials are reporting that Israel has hit Iran with a missile strike in the Isfahan region of the country, although the Iranians deny this and say it was just drones and no significant damage has been done.

Iran’s spokespeople are saying that explosions were heard near an army base and air defence systems were activated.

The Israelis have yet to claim responsibility, although they are renowned for their secrecy. The attack appears to be a retaliatory strike after the unprecedented assault launched last week on Israel.

There have been weeks of escalating tensions between the two rivals nations, with an Iranian compound blown up in Syria at the start of the month, seemingly being the spark.

There have been no reports of casualties.

What’s to follow?

There was probably some relief from the US President Joe Biden with regards to the ferocity of the response which Israel have reportedly dealt towards Iran, although there has still not been any admission from the Israelis that they were behind the attack, but that is usual practice.

If this attack is not followed up with anything further then that might allow an uneasy stand-off to develop, although Iran did say last week that if there was to be any retaliation from Israel for the drone and missile attacks they launched, then there would be serious consequences, so many are holding their breath right now.

Some believe that what happened overnight could be Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to save face by launching an obligatory attack, but without alienating the US any more than he has already, by keeping it low key.

Nuclear facility untouched

Blasts were said to have been heard in the central province of Isfahan, the location of Iran’s nuclear facilities – which they insist are purely for peaceful purposes, together with a large airbase and a major missile production complex.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed there has been no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites at which, despite denials, the Israelis and Western powers have long suspected that Tehran were secretly developing their own nuclear weapons.

Initial denial

The Iranian’s are so far playing down what happened. Indeed, initially they denied there had been any attack at all, but later analysts on state TV said air defence batteries had knocked out drones that had been launched by “infiltrators”.

It had not been felt necessary to call a meeting of the ruling High National Council, with the Iranian government continuing to downplay any impact.

Iran plays down attack

Hossein Dalirian, a spokesman for Iran’s National Centre of Cyberspace insisted that there had been “no air attack from outside borders” and went on to add that Israel had “only made a failed and humiliating attempt to fly quad-copters (drones) and they have been shot down”.

Iran did for a short time, place restrictions on commercial flights immediately after the strike, but they were lifted fairly quickly.

Late notice

There are likely to be some harsh conversations taking place in the hours and days ahead between all parties. Israel would in normal circumstances, inform the US well in advance with regards to any imminent military action.

However, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani has made it clear at the G7 meeting in Capri, that Washington was only “informed at the very last minute”.

At the same summit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to be drawn on the attack, remarking only that the US had “not been involved in any offensive operations”.

Plea for calm

The UK government said it would not speculate on the strike, but were keen to stress that Israel should avoid “significant escalation” while exercising its “right to self defence”.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on all sides to refrain from further action.