The events described involve military actions and tensions between Israel, Iran, and other actors in the region. Here’s a humanized summary: According to a senior U.S. military official speaking to NPR, Israel has carried out missile strikes against Iran. There have also been reports of explosions in Iraq and Syria.
These strikes seem to be Israel’s response to an Iranian attack on Sunday, where Tehran launched hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. The majority of Iran’s projectiles were intercepted or caused minimal damage. The U.S. military official shared this information anonymously.
Details regarding the extent of Israel’s strikes and the specific weapons used remain unclear. Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported that loud sounds heard east of the city of Isfahan were from air defenses intercepting what they called a “suspicious target.” However, no damage was reported in the area.
Other Iranian news agencies did not confirm such a strike and suggested that the sounds near Isfahan could have been the interception of drones. As of now, Israel’s military and prime minister’s office have not responded to NPR’s request for comment.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed on social media that Iran’s nuclear sites have not been damaged. Meanwhile, Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, criticized the apparent strike against Iran, describing it as “weak” and too limited on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Despite the military actions, commercial flights are still operating in and out of Israel. The country’s Home Front Command system, responsible for issuing threat alerts during tense military situations, has not changed its threat level.
In Iran, flights were briefly grounded in the morning but resumed a few hours later. The U.S. and other western allies had been urging Israel to refrain from military strikes to prevent escalating regional conflict stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.
Tensions increased when an airstrike, which Iran blamed on Israel, killed two Iranian military commanders at the country’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1. Iran stated that Sunday’s attack on Israel was a response to this incident.
The region has been on edge since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in casualties, followed by Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which caused significant loss of life, according to Gaza health officials.
Additionally, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have exchanged frequent fire along the northern Israeli border. Meanwhile, Houthi militants, supported by Iran, have targeted international commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea in recent months. The group claims to be targeting ships with ties to Israel in response to Israel’s ongoing Gaza invasion.