Explosions were reported inside of Iran while unconfirmed reports indicated multiple Iranian sites were struck, possibly by Israel.
The semi-official Iranian Fars News Agency reported explosions near the city of Isfahan in central Iran. The state-run Iranian news agency Press TV also reported explosions in Isfahan but noted the reasons were still unknown.
Other unconfirmed reports indicate potential strikes near the cities of Daraa in Syria and Baghdad in Iraq.
Flights were being diverted around western Iran early Friday morning local time, according to the Associated Press.
It’s not clear what the immediate targets were if the strikes happened and if Israel is behind them, but Isfahan is home to Iranian nuclear facilities and sites.
Iran warned earlier on Thursday that the targeting of nuclear sites could result in the change of the nuclear “doctrine” in Tehran, which does not have nuclear weapons but possesses enriched uranium and holds the capacity to obtain them.
The alleged Israeli strikes will likely inflame tensions even further in the Middle East, which is already embroiled in conflicts in Gaza and in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.
Israeli officials pledged earlier this week to respond to Iran, which sent a flurry of some 300 missiles and drones at Israel last weekend.
That attack, which was largely defeated by Israeli and allied defense systems, came in response to an alleged Israeli strike near the Iranian embassy in Syria that killed two high-ranking commanders.
The Biden administration pushed Israel not to respond to Iran, but Israeli officials were publicly arguing that such a brazen Iranian attack must be answered.
Iran, in turn, publicly warned that any Israeli attack would be met with a much harsher response than last weekend’s assault.
This story is developing.
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