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Israel launches missile strikes on Iran, US officials say

Arsalan Shahla, Peter Martin and Jennifer Jacobs, Bloomberg News on

Published in News & Features

Israel launched a retaliatory strike on Iran less than a week after Tehran’s rocket and drone barrage, according to two U.S. officials, but Iranian media appeared to downplay the incident in the hours that followed the initial reports.

An explosion was heard early Friday in Iran’s central city of Isfahan, the country’s semi-official Fars news agency reported. Nuclear facilities in the city are completely safe, state television reported.

Flights were suspended in Isfahan and the Iranian cities of Tehran and Shiraz as well as airports across the country’s western borders, Iran’s Mehr news agency also reported.

The details of the blast in Isfahan are unknown, according to Fars, but the city — home to several military bases and facilities — is believed to have been one of several launch sites for Iran’s April 13 attack.

The New York Times reported that two Israeli defense officials confirmed the nation was behind the strike. Israel had notified the U.S. earlier Thursday that it planned to retaliate in the next 24-48 hours, according to two U.S. officials who asked not to be identified discussing private conversations. Spokespeople for the National Security Council and the Pentagon declined to comment.

Brent crude jumped above $90 a barrel before paring gains, and gold surged past $2,400 an ounce. The yield on 10-year Treasuries slumped as much as 11 basis points to 4.52%, while a gauge of the dollar climbed as much as 0.6% to its highest since November.

 

The reports come after Israel vowed to retaliate against Iran for its barrage of 300 drones and missiles, the vast majority of which were destroyed before hitting their targets. Iran said it was responding to a strike on its diplomatic building in Syria that killed several Iranian officers on April 1.

If attributed to Israel, the nature and scope of the strike — including any casualties — could determine whether the tit-for-tat responses between the two sides escalate or start to get scaled back.

Early indications are that this was a “symbolic attack” that won’t force Iran to respond aggressively, retired Israeli Gen. Israel Ziv told the nation’s Channel 12.

Iranian media also appeared to downplay the attack, with the state broadcaster portraying a sense of calm in Isfahan and asserting that everything was proceeding as usual. Separately, the country’s Supreme National Security Council decided against convening for an emergency meeting, according to state TV, while officials provided no immediate updates on potential casualties or damage.

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