Summary of the day so far
It’s 9:40am
in Tehran and 9:10am in Tel Aviv. We’re about to hand over to London but first,
a summary of what we know so far:
- US officials have confirmed that Israel has carried out airstrikes against Iran as explosions were reported in the sky over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz.
- Air defence systems over several Iranian cities were activated, state media reported, after the country’s official broadcaster said explosions were heard near the city of Isfahan, home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including its underground Natanz enrichment site.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites. In a post on X, the agency said it continues to monitor the situation very closely and calls for extreme restraint from all sides, stressing that “nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts”.
- Iran’s Fars news agency reported “three explosions” were heard near the Shekari army airbase in the north-west of Isfahan province, while Iran’s space agency spokesperson Hossein Dalirian said “several” drones had been “successfully shot down”.
- Commercial flights including Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting their routes early on Friday morning over western Iran without explanation. Local warnings to aviators suggested the airspace may have been closed.
- Mehr news agency reported that “flights to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, and airports in the west, northwest and southwest have been suspended.”
- Flight-tracking software showed commercial flights avoiding western Iran, including Isfahan, and skirting Tehran to the north and east.
- Iran’s civil aviation organisation says flight restrictions in several airports have been lifted, according to Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency.
- Iran appeared to downplay the attack, as a senior commander in Iran’s army Siavosh Mihandoust has told the country’s state TV on Friday that no damage was caused. He added that the noise heard overnight in Isfahan was due to air defence systems targeting a “suspicious object”, reports Reuters.
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