Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Iran fired air defense batteries on Friday morning following reports of explosions near a key air base in the city of Isfahan, state news agency IRNA reported.
It was not clear whether the country was under attack. However, tensions remain high following Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel. A government official suggested the sites may have been targeted by drones.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
IRNA said defenses fired on several provinces. He did not elaborate on what caused the batteries to go off, although people in the area reported hearing the sounds.
In particular, IRNA said air defenses fired at a key air base in Isfahan, which has long been home to Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats – acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies also reported the sound of explosions, without indicating the cause. State television acknowledged “loud noise” in the area.
Isfahan is also home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including its underground Natanz enrichment facility, which has repeatedly been the target of alleged Israeli attacks. However, state television described all locations in the area as “completely safe”.
Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting through western Iran at around 4:30 a.m. local time. They offered no explanation, although local warnings to airmen suggested the airspace may have been closed.
Iran later announced it had suspended commercial flights in Tehran and areas of its western and central regions. Loudspeakers informed customers about the incident at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, online videos reportedly show.
Iranian state television initiated an on-screen alert acknowledging a “loud noise” near Isfahan, without immediately providing further details.
Hossein Dalirian, a spokesman for Iran’s civilian space program, said on social media platform X that several small “quadcopter” drones had been shot down. It was not immediately clear where this happened or whether it was part of the ongoing incident in Iran.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, where several Iranian-backed militias are based, Baghdad residents reported hearing sounds of explosions, but the source of the noise was not immediately clear.
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