Iran fires air defense batteries in provinces as explosions heard near Isfahan

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran fired air protection batteries early Friday morning after reviews of explosions close to the town of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news company reported.

It remained unclear if the nation was beneath assault. However, tensions stay excessive within the wider Middle East after Iran’s unprecedented missile-and-drone assault on Israel. One authorities official steered websites might have been focused by drones.

The Israeli army didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

IRNA mentioned the defenses fired throughout a number of provinces. It didn’t elaborate on what prompted the batteries to fireside, although folks throughout the world reported listening to the sounds.

The semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news companies reported the sound of blasts, with out giving a trigger. State tv acknowledged “loud noise” within the space.

Isfahan is dwelling to a significant airbase for the Iranian army, in addition to websites related to its nuclear program.

Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai started diverting round western Iran about 4:30 a.m. native time. They supplied no rationalization, although native warnings to aviators steered the airspace might have been closed.

Iranian state tv started a scrolling, on-screen alert acknowledging a “loud noise” close to Isfahan, with out instantly elaborating.

Hossein Dalirian, a spokesman for Iran’s civilian house program, mentioned on the X social media platform that a number of small “quadcopter” drones had been shot down. It wasn’t instantly clear the place that occurred or if it was a part of the continued incident in Iran.

The Associated Press