Two U.S. officials confirm to CBS News that an Israeli missile has hit Iran. The strike follows last weekend’s retaliatory drone and missile attack against Israel, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to respond to. Officials were tightlipped about the location or extent of the Israeli strike. When reached by CBS News, the Israel Defense Forces had no comment on the attack. The Iranian state-run IRNA news agency said air defense batteries fired across several provinces. It didn’t elaborate on why the batteries fired, though people across the area reported hearing the sounds. In particular, IRNA said air defenses fired at a major air base in Isfahan, which long has been home to Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats — purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies also reported the sound of blasts, without giving a cause. State television acknowledged “loud noise” in the area. Isfahan is also home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including its underground Natanz enrichment site, which has been repeatedly targeted by suspected Israeli attacks. However, state television denied any attack on nuclear facilities, describing all sites in the area as “fully safe,” and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it “can confirm that there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites.” State television said three very small drones were shot down in an area east of Isfahan and was running what it said were live pictures showing calm and normal conditions in Isfahan. Three Iranian officials told The New York Times the attack on the air base included small drones that may have been launched from inside Iran, saying radar systems didn’t detect unidentified aircraft that entered Iran’s airspace.
There has been no urgent meeting of the Iran’s High National Council, state television added. It appeared Iran was trying to downplay the impact of any Israeli attack.
