2024 Israeli strikes on Iran
Part of the 2024 Iran–Israel conflict
Type	Missile strike
Location	Isfahan, Iran
Objective	Retaliation for Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israel
Date	19 April 2024
Executed by	Israel Defense Forces

On 19 April 2024, at 5:23 a.m. Israel Summer Time (UTC 02:23) Israel launched missile strikes on Iran.^[1] The strikes primarily targeted Isfahan, in central Iran.^[2] The attack was in response to Iranian drone and missile strikes in Israel, itself an Iranian retaliation for the Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus.^[3]

Iranian media and social media platforms reported explosions near Isfahan, where Iran has nuclear facilities, a drone manufacturing facility, and a major airbase.^[4][2] Iranian state media said that Israeli drones flying over the region were shot down by the Iranian Air Defense Force.^[5][6] Three Iranian officials confirmed to The New York Times that Israel was involved.^[7] US officials confirmed that a missile from Israel struck Iran.^[8] No strikes were reported on Iran's nuclear sites.^[2]

According to reports, at least eight flights were rerouted from the area.^[9] State media in Iran announced the temporary suspension of flights across the country, although this restriction was lifted later that morning. Details regarding the scope and impact of the attack remain unclear.^[2] An Iranian official told Reuters that the explosions were from Israeli drones being shot down, and claimed that there had been no missile attack on Iran.^[10]

Background

Middle East escalation

On 7 October 2023, Hamas, an Islamic militant group supported by Iran, carried out an attack in southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the kidnapping of at least 253 other Israeli and international citizens.^[11] Israel responded by launching the ongoing Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.^[12]

After 7 October, the Iranian-backed proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon began attacking northern Israel.^[13] There have been over 4,400 violent incidents recorded between Hezbollah and Israel since the start of the war,^[14] and about 100,000 Israelis have been evacuated from northern Israel since the beginning of the conflict.^[15] The Iranian-backed Houthi movement has launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles towards Israel, and have hijacked and attacked ships in the Red Sea, severely restricting the flow of trade through the Suez Canal.^[16]

Bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus

On 1 April 2024, the Iranian consulate annex building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, was struck by an Israeli airstrike, killing 16 people, including a woman and her son, and Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior Quds Force commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and seven other IRGC officers, in addition to six other militants belonging to Hezbollah and other Iranian supported groups. Soon after the attack, Iran vowed to retaliate,^[17][18] with reports suggesting this as a potential motive for the airstrike.^[19] The Jerusalem Post reported the building was inside the Iranian diplomatic compound, adjacent to the main embassy building.^[20][21]

In the weeks following the attack on the consulate, the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom all warned Iran not to retaliate to Israel and escalate the situation.^[22]

Iranian strikes in Israel

On 13 April 2024, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian military, in collaboration with the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces,^[23] Lebanese group Hezbollah, and the Yemeni Houthis, launched attacks against Israel using drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.^[24] Iran stated that the operation was done in retaliation for the Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consulate annex in Damascus, used by the IRGC, two weeks earlier.^[3] The operation was part of the Israel-Hamas war spillover and marked Iran's first direct attack on Israel since the start of their proxy conflict.^[25]

Israel stated that 99 percent of the drones and missiles were destroyed by a coalition during Operation Iron Shield,^[26][27][28] most before entering Israeli airspace,^[29] while a US official said that at least nine Iranian missiles had struck two Israeli airbases, causing minor damage. The missiles caused minor damage to the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, which remained operational.^[30][31][32] An international coalition, including the US, UK, France and Jordan assisted Israel in intercepting Iranian projectiles and in radar coverage. In Israel, a 7-year-old Israeli Bedouin girl was seriously wounded, and thirty-one other people either suffered minor injuries while rushing to shelters or were treated for anxiety. Jordan reported some shrapnel falling on its territory, causing no significant damage or injuries.^[30][31]

Iran's attacks drew criticism from the United Nations, several world leaders, and political analysts, who warned that they risk escalating into a full-blown regional war.^{[33][34][35][36]} In recent days, Iran has intensified its threats, promising a strong retaliation to any strikes from Israel. Moreover, on April 18, Iran said that it might expedite its nuclear program if its nuclear installations come under attack.^[2]

Strikes

Iran

Reports from Iranian media and on social media platforms indicated that there were explosions near Isfahan, in a province known for nuclear sites, a major airbase, and a drone manufacturing facility.^[2]

Specifically, the state-operated Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that air defenses were activated at Shekari air base in Isfahan,^[37] which hosts Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats, which had been acquired prior to the Iranian Revolution in 1979.^[4] Additionally, air defense systems were activated in various provinces after unidentified aerial objects were spotted.^[2]

IRNA reported that its journalists did not observe any significant damage or explosions throughout the nation, and no disturbances were recorded at any of Iran's nuclear sites.^[2]

Three Iranian officials told the The New York Times that the strike hit the airbase.^[7] US officials later stated that a missile from Israel struck Iran.^[8]

Possible related strikes

Syria

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israeli strikes hit Syrian Army radar positions in As-Suwayda Governorate and Daraa Governorate in southern Syria. In a statement, Syria’s defense ministry confirmed the strikes stating that Israel carried out an attack using missiles, targeting air defense sites in the southern region and causing material damage.^[38]

Iraq

Explosions were also reported in the morning in Baghdad governorate and Babil Governorate. Fighter jets were heard in Erbil and Mosul.^[39] The booster of an Israeli Sparrow air-launched ballistic missile was discovered south of Baghdad, indicating that Israeli aircraft had launched their missiles at Iran within Iraqi airspace.^[40]

Aftermath

Iran subsequently announced the suspension of commercial flights in Tehran and in the country's western and central areas. At Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, loudspeakers reportedly informed passengers of the situation.^[4] Normal flight operations were later restored, according to Iranian authorities. Several airliners diverted their aircraft away from Iranian airspace.^[41]

Iranian media reported that no casualties or damage had occurred. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency posted a video of a nuclear facility in Isfahan which did not show any damage or signs it had been hit. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that no damage has occurred to Iran's nuclear sites.^[42]

Reactions

The Israel Defense Forces told CNN that they "do not have a comment at this time."^[43] A senior United States official confirmed that Israel had conducted a strike and noted that the US was notified by Israel in advance of the operation.^[7] An Iranian official told Reuters that the explosions were due to the activation of Iran's air defense systems, and added that there had been no missile attack on Iran.^[10]

Israel minister of national security described the attack as "feeble" or "lame".^[42] BBC security correspondent Frank Gardener labeled the attack as "limited, almost symbolic".^[42]

Australia advised its citizens to leave Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories given that the security situation could deteriorate quickly,^[44] and the US limited the travel of its embassy personnel to metropolitan regions for similar reasons.^[45]

See also

• Israel–Hamas war
• Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present)
• Iran–Israel proxy conflict
• Iranian seizure of the MSC Aries
• 2023 Iran drone attacks

References