The Iranian Embassy in the Isfahan Military Base: The Story of the Cross-border Hezbollah–Israel War

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have traded frequent fire over the northern Israel border. International commercial vessels have been going after by the Houthis in the Red Sea. The leaders of the group claim to be targeting ships with links to Israel.

The region is on the edge of a bigger conflict since Hamas attacked Israel in October and the Israeli invasion of Gaza in June.

Iranian news has not reported on the strike, and concluded the sounds were the intercept of one or more drones. Israel’s military has not yet responded to NPR’s request for comment.

The US and other western allies had been urging Israel not to launch a military strike in order to avoid a regional conflict.

Iran state news agency IRNA reported a military official in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, Brigadier General Mihan Dost, as saying loud sounds heard east of the city were the sound of air defenses intercepting what he called a “suspicious target” and that no damage was reported in the area.

After the strike on the military base in Iran, the world leaders reacted with a mostly quiet response on Friday.

One video that was widely shared online Friday showed a girl laughing as she threw a paper airplane at an apartment building and compared it to the Israeli strike.

In Israel, officials described the strike as a limited response designed to avoid larger-scale violence. Pundits on the country’s morning news shows said the strike did not appear to cause significant damage to military sites in Iran.

State television in Iran said military and nuclear facilities in Isfahan were safe and broadcast footage of the city looking calm in the spring light. The newsreader said the attack was not a big deal.

Dana Weiss said that Israel could do elegant military maneuvers that were not noisy or cause harm but which delivered the message it wanted. “And that is what we have seen them do.”