Israel-Iran News: No Immediate Plan For Retaliation, Says Iran; Air India Suspends Flights To Israel

In an unprecedented attack, Iran launched over two hundred missiles and explosive drones targeting Israel late on Saturday. This act of extreme aggression marked Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, making room for a major escalation amid an already existing war situation in Israel.

As per reports, with the aid of several US and British warplanes and its very own Iron Dome, Israel intercepted all Iranian missiles and Israel-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border while Jordan intercepted missiles that violated its airspace.

Iranian semi-official FARS news reported that three explosions were heard near the military base where fighter jets are located in the northwest part of the city of Isfahan. 'Loud sound' was heard in Isfahan province as flights divert around area amid tensions with Israel, reported AP.

Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

It remained unclear if the country was under attack. However, tensions remain high in the wider Middle East after Iran's unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel.

IRNA said the defenses fired across several provinces. It did not elaborate on what caused the batteries to fire, though people across the area reported hearing the sounds.

According to Iranian state media, several outgoing flights from several Iranian airports have been canceled in light of the latest development.

As per media reports, the director of Iran’s public relations for an airport company said that all flights going to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz had already been suspended.

As per a report by CNN, a US official said Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran. However, it has been told that the target is not nuclear.

According to another official, the range of targets was “never specified in precise terms but nuclear and civilian locations were clearly not in that category.”

Iran's Isfahan qualifies to be a potential target as the city holds immense strategic importance and is the location of several important facilities, including military research and development sites, as well as bases.

The nearby city of Natanz is home to one of Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites.

Citing a reliable sorce, Iran's state-aligned Tasnim news confirmed that the targets were not nuclear as the country's nuclear facilities in Isfahan province are 'completely secure'.

Earlier, the United States officials also mentioned the same about the target of the Israeli attack.

On Friday, the Embassy of Iran in India issued press statement on the recent exercise by Iran against Isarel.

The official statement read, "Iran, as a responsible member of the United Nations, emphasizing its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the rule of law, in response to the Zionist regime's heinous military aggression and unlawful use of force against diplomatic premises of Uran in Damascus on 1st April 2024, implemented its inherent right of self-defense in accordance with the Article 51 of the UN Charter on 14th April 2024..."

According to the Iranian state TV, Iran's air defence system destroyed three drones that were observed over the sky in Isfahan at about 12:30 GMT.

Earlier, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that “explosions” had been heard near Isfahan’s international airport.

According to the officials, the United State in advance had received warning of Israel's retaliatory move against Iran but "didn't endorse" it

As per reports, Israel on Thursday informed the US about the attack against Iran in the coming days, a senior US official said.

"We didn't endorse the response," the official said.

Amid the tension over Israel's alleged attack on Iran, the global market of oil and gold prices have reportedly moved upwards while the share prices plummeted, as per reports.

Acordding to BBC, in Asia trade today, Brent crude saw a hike of over 3% to around $90 a barrel, while gold was trading close to a new record high above $2,400 an ounce.

Benchmark stock indexes in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea also fell after the reports.

As per CNN, when asked about the reports of explosions in Iran, the Israeli military said they "don't have a comment at this time." On Friday morning, Israel launched an attack inside Iran as a response to the April 13 attack.

Furthermore, the Israeli military has also said the warning sirens that sounded in northern Israel shortly after unconfirmed reports of Israeli strikes in Iran on Friday were a false alarm.

In light of the latest development, a flight heading Tehran from Dubai was diverted back to the United Arab Emirates on Friday morning following the closure of Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport.

According to a Flydubai spokesperson,"Flydubai flight FZ 1929 from Dubai to Tehran on 19 April has returned to Dubai due to the closure of Tehran Airport (IKA). In line with the issued NOTAM, our flights to Iran today have been canceled. The safety of our passengers and crew is our priority," CNN said

Iran has lifted flight suspensions hours after explosions near a military base in Isfahan province, according to the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Organization.

"We inform you that thational restrictions imposed on the airports have been removed and the airlines are allowed to carry out scheduled flights," the spokesperson said.

Flights have resumed at Mehrabad Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport, the two major airports in Iran's capital, Tehran, after being suspended earlier today.

Initially, Iran had imposed temporary suspension on all flights heading to the cities of “Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, the airports of the West, North West and South West." Furthermore, outgoing flights were also briefly canceled.

Denying any missile attack on Iran, Iranian space agency official Hossein Dalirian wrote, "There has been no air attack from outside borders to Isfahan or other parts of the country."

He said Israel had "only made a failed and humiliating attempt to fly quadcopters [drones] and the quadcopters have also been shot down."

Similarly reports came from Iranian state media saying that air defence systems were activated in several areas of the country overnight to engage possible targets, but there were no reports of any direct impact or explosion.

In a post on the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter), the platform's CEO Elon Musk said, "We should send rockets not at each other, but rather to the stars".

Musk's remark came in connection with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East involving Iran, Israel, and Gaza.

According to the Iranian state television, Second Brigadier General Siavash Mihandoust, a senior Iranian military figure in Isfahan, reported that air defence systems targeted 'a suspicious object'.

The senior commander added that there was no damage.

After monitoring the current situation in Iran closely, the United Nations nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed there has been no damage to Iran's nuclear sites after an aerial attack in Isfahan province, as per a report by CNN.

IAEA said its chief Rafael Grossi "continues to call for extreme restraint from everybody and reiterates that nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts."

Hours after a drone attack by Israel, a senior Iranian official said, "Iran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel."

"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," the Iranian official further added.

Condemning the attack on Israel, the Foreign Ministry of Oman has issued a statement. Inits official statement, Oman has also criticised Israel’s repeated military attacks in the region. Oman, for long, has mediated between Iran and Western countries.

Moreover, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has called for “absolute de-escalation” in the Middle East.

“We invite everyone to be cautious to avoid an escalation,” he told RAI news from Capri, where is hosting a meeting of G7 counterparts.

Terming the latest developments 'deeply worrying', Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot asserted that the Netherlands is “closely monitoring the situation in Iran”.

“The recent developments in the Middle East are deeply worrying. It is of paramount importance that further escalation is prevented,” Bruins Slot added on X.

During the third day of their three-day meeting in Capri, Italy, G7 leaders are set to discuss the recent explosions in Iran.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has confirmed that he has been in contact with the country's ambassador to Iran and is closely monitoring the situation. He has reassured that there are no immediate concerns for Italian citizens residing in Iran and emphasized the G7's desire for a peaceful resolution.

Mélanie Joly, Canada's Foreign Minister, also present at the meeting, mentioned that her team is closely observing the developments.

The G7 leaders had previously agreed to enhance collaboration in addressing the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, urges Iran, Israel, and their allies to avoid additional escalation.

Leyen reportedly said, "It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action."

Amid concerns of a broader escalation in the Middle East, oil prices have surged. The news of Iran-Israel tension has caused concern in the markets, leading to a more than 3 percent surge in both major oil contracts due to supply worries from the oil-rich region.

Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei all experienced drops of over 3 per cent, with Hong Kong and Sydney both seeing declines of over 1 per cent.

There were also losses in Shanghai, Singapore, Wellington, Manila, and Jakarta. The demand for safety also led to the yen strengthening against the US dollar and gold surging over 1 per cent to surpass 2,400 dollars, while US Treasuries rose.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary reportedly said, “Japan is deeply concerned about the situation in the Middle East and strongly condemn any actions that lead to the escalation of the situation."

“Japan will continue to make all necessary diplomatic efforts to prevent the situation from worsening further,” he added.

Jean-Noel Barrot, deputy French foreign minister said, “All I can say is that France’s position is to call on all actors for de-escalation and restraint.”

Adding to them, Ben Saul, UN special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights expressed, “Israel’s latest strikes on Iran are another violation of the prohibition on the use of military force under international law & the UN Charter, and threaten the human right to life.”

According to CNN, direct state-to-state strikes between Iran and Israel are likely to be 'over'.

Reportedly Iran was not anticipated to retaliate to the strikes and the Iranian government officials have downplayed the impact of Friday's attack so far.

The Israeli military has refrained from commenting, and Iran has not disclosed the source of the attack.

Israel on Friday retaliated to Iran's unprecedented weekend attacks by carrying out a military strike inside the West Asian country. A US official later confirmed the Israeli military strike which has so far been played down by both the parties involved in the conflict.

Read More

Hours after Israel allegedly launched an attack on Iran, senior Iranian officials have stated that the country has no plans for immediate retaliation against Israel.

"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," the Iranian official told news agency Reuters on the condition of anonymity.

Air India has announced that it will be suspending all flights to and fro from Israel in light of the growing tensions between Iran and Israel. All flights to and fro to Tel Aviv remain suspended till April 30.

 UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated that “significant escalation is not in anyone’s interest” with regards to the growing tensions between Israel and Iran.

“It’s a developing situation, it wouldn’t be right for me to speculate until the facts become clearer and we’re working to confirm the details together with allies,” stated the UK PM following a speech in central London.

“What we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region,” he added further

Updates to this live blog have been closed. Read here to know more about the latest on Iran-Israel tensions