CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: With an apparent Israeli drone attack on a major air base near the city of Isfahan in Iran, regional tensions further escalated in the Middle East. However, Iranian officials downplayed the incident and have not confirmed the Israeli ‘counter strike’.
Since the Saturday retaliatory air strike on Israel by Tehran after alleged Israeli missiles hit its consulate in Syria, killing several people including the top general, tensions have been high.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “We were not involved in any offensive operations.” Earlier, some US officials have confirmed the counter-strike attack.
While Iranian army commander Gen Abdolrahim Mousavi said the explosion this morning in the sky of Isfahan was related to the shooting of air defence systems at a suspicious object that did not cause any damage.
Iran has already said that they are not planning to retaliate.
Meanwhile, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia “made it very clear” to Israel that Iran “does not want escalation” as part of these discussions.
Jordan, which shares a border with Israel has also warned against the “danger of regional escalation” and called for an end to Israeli-Iranian retaliations.
“We condemn all actions that threaten dragging the region into war,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi says in a statement.