The Israeli Defence Forces allegedly launched airstrikes against Iran on Friday, days after Tehran launched drones and missiles targeting the Jewish state, reported ABC News, citing US officials.
Warning sirens were sounded in northern Israel, the Israeli Defence Forces said on Friday following reports of attack on Iran.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that commercial flights were diverted early Friday morning over western Iran without explanation amid reports of explosions heard over the city of Qahjavaristan, near Isfahan airport.
Isfahan is home to Iran's 8th Shekhari Base of the Army Air Force and sites associated with its nuclear programme. Nuclear sites in Isfahan remain unharmed, Iran's state TV said.
The semi-official Fars news agency, citing sources, said the air defence systems in Isfahan were activated against "an object suspected to be a drone" and acknowledged three loud explosions near Isfahan airport.
The missiles strikes were reportedly in retaliation of Iran's missile-and-drone attack on Israel, following Tel Aviv's airstrike on Tehran's embassy in Damascus, Syria.
UAE carriers Emirates and FlyDubai diverted around western Iran about 4.30 am local time without explanation. Local warnings to aviators indicated that the airspace may have been closed.
Later, Iran announced that it has grounded commercial flights in Tehran and the country's western and central regions.
Hossein Dalirian, a spokesman for Iran's civilian space programme, posted on X that several small quadcopter drones were shot down.
-- with agency inputs
