Iran downplays presumed Israeli attack but vows response to further action

Iran’s response will be ‘immediate’ if Israel attacks

Iran’s Foreign
Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Iran would give an immediate response if there was a significant attack from Israel.

In an interview with NBC News on Friday, Amirabdollahian said if Israel acts against Iran’s interests, his country’s “next response will be immediate and
will be at the maximum level”.

Amirabdollahian downplayed the presumed Israeli drone attack on Isfahan in central Iran, questioning whether Israel was involved.

He said the mini-drones were “like toys our children play with”.

What we know about Israel’s missile attack on Iran

There are competing claims about the scale of the attack on the Isfahan region and the extent of any damage, with Iranian state media downplaying its significance.

US officials have confirmed to the BBC’s partner CBS News that an Israeli missile did hit Iran. US sources say a missile was involved in the attack, while Iran says it involved small drones.

So far, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the type of missile used.

Among experts, there now seems to be a wider consensus in thinking that a two-stage missile was used – and was probably air-launched. Many identify the debris with Israeli-produced Blue Sparrow missiles.

Although we cannot yet independently verify the exact type of missile, it is known that Israel has developed this type of weapon.

Read more here.

AnalysisAn audible sigh of relief in the Middle East

Lyse Doucet

Chief international correspondent

The latest round in the region’s most dangerous rivalry appears to be over, for now.

Israel still has not officially acknowledged that the attack in Iran in the early hours of Friday morning was its doing.

Meanwhile, Iran’s military and political leaders have downplayed, dismissed and even mocked that anything of consequence happened at all.

The accounts over what kind of weaponry was deployed on Friday and how much damage was caused are still conflicting and incomplete.

American officials speak of a missile strike, but Iranian officials say the attacks, in the central province of Isfahan and in northwest Tabriz, were caused by small exploding drones.

But these simple quadcopters are Israel’s calling card – it has deployed them time and again in its years of covert operations inside Iran.

This time their main target was the storied central province of Isfahan, which is celebrated for its stunning Islamic heritage.

Read Lyse Doucet’s full analysis here.

Iran’s muted response to presumed Israeli attack signals de-escalation

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage. You’re joining us as tensions in the Middle East appear to be calming, with Israel and Iran downplaying an apparent Israeli strike on the city of Isfahan.

Iran says it will give an immediate response if there is a significant attack on it by Israel, but continued to downplay Friday’s strike on Isfahan.

Meanwhile, US officials have raised concerns with their Israeli counterparts about Israel’s plans for military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently vowed to carry out an offensive in Rafah – where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering.

The White House said Netanyahu’s representatives had agreed “to take these concerns into account”.

We’ll be bringing you live updates and analysis here on this page, so stay with us.