Iran Israel Conflict: Isfahan’s Nuclear Hub Could Escalate West Asia Conflict

Israel authorities have not confirmed a strike, and Iran state-media has downplayed claims of an attack on a military site. However, US media has quoted officials stating that Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes.

Hossein Dalirian, spokesperson for Iran’s space agency, reported that several drones were shot down, and there has been “no missile attack for now.” An unnamed US official told CNN that the target was not nuclear.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency, with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that nuclear facilities in Isfahan are “completely secure” and denied that Iran had been attacked from abroad. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed there is “no damage” to Iran’s nuclear sites and called for extreme restraint from all parties.

According to a New York Times report, Iranian officials stated that the strike had hit a military air base near Isfahan and coincided with the 85th birthday of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini. Flights to Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz were suspended, with the UAE-based flydubai airline cancelling flights to the country.

However, two Tehran airports later resumed service. The Iranian television reported normal traffic conditions at a roundabout in Isfahan, while Tasnim news agency reported complete security and peace at the Isfahan nuclear site.

Additionally, a senior army official in Isfahan confirmed that the explosion heard in the province was due to the firing of anti-aircraft weapons targeting “suspicious objects.” Three drones were shot down, according to Dalirian’s statement.

Isfahan is home to Iran’s underground Natanz enrichment site and also houses Iran’s fleet of US-made F-14 Tomcats. After the missile strike on Israel, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned of potential attacks on Israel’s nuclear sites and the pursuit of a nuclear weapon if Iran’s facilities are struck.

Israel’s national security minister and the US White House and Pentagon have yet to make a statement. US media reports quoting officials have said that Washington did receive advance notice of the reported strike but did not endorse it or play any part in its execution.

Speculation arose that the limited nature of the strike may provide Iran with strategic deniability, potentially aiding in de-escalation in the region. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the possibility of a full-scale regional conflict due to the war in Gaza and Iran’s attack on Israel.

He called for restraint and highlighted the perilous escalation in the Middle East.