Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, warned on Friday that Iran would respond immediately and at the maximum level if Israel retaliated and acted against the interests of Iran.
The statement came after an overnight attack on Iran, which Iranian officials described as an attack by “infiltrators” rather than by Israel, reported Reuters.
The incident involved a small number of explosions, which resulted from air defenses hitting three drones over Isfahan in central Iran in the early hours of Friday.
Amirabdollahian told NBC News that the drones took off from inside Iran and flew for a few hundred meters before being downed. He added that Iran was investigating the matter but that media reports were not accurate, according to Tehran’s information.
Israel has previously warned that it will not permit Iran or its proxies to attack Israel with impunity.
In response to a strike on April 13, the first direct attack on Israel by Iran, which caused no deaths after Israel and its allies shot down hundreds of missiles and drones, Israel launched a limited missile strike against Iran.
The Islamic Republic is seeking to play down the significance of the Israeli retaliatory strike, and Hezbollah’s second-in-command said earlier this week that it would not escalate unless Israel does.
The situation remains volatile, with the potential for unintended consequences and unforeseen complications.
The world braces for the potential fallout of this escalating conflict, as both Iran and Israel are on high alert, with tensions between the two nations reaching a boiling point. The international community has urged both sides to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation.
