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Middle East updates: Iran diverts flights, reports explosion
Published 17 minutes agoPublished 17 minutes agolast updated 12 minutes agolast updated 12 minutes ago
Iranian semi official media reported commercial flight diversions and the sound of explosions in or near the city of Isfahan overnight, but said the cause was not yet clear. DW has the latest.
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What you need to know
Iran’s Fars news agency reported the sound of explosions at an airport in Isfahan
It said the cause was not yet clear
Commercial flights were also diverted over parts of the country’s airspace
Israel had said it would retaliate after Tehran fired missiles and drones at Israeli territory over the weekend
Isfahan is Iran’s third most populous city, the area is host to an array of industrial and military facilities
Skip next section Flights diverted, Iranian state media says air defenses activated
12 minutes ago12 minutes ago
Flights diverted, Iranian state media says air defenses activated
State-run Iranian news agency and others in Iran soon also reported the sound of an explosion in Isfahan province.
It said that air defense systems had been activated in several Iranian provinces.
IRNA also reported restrictions on commercial flights in Iranian airspace.
Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting around western Iran about 4:30 a.m. local time. They offered no explanation, though local warnings to aviators suggested the airspace may have been closed.
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Skip next section First reports of explosions in or near Isfahan
16 minutes ago16 minutes ago
First reports of explosions in or near Isfahan
Iran’s semi-officials Fars news agency reported that explosions were heard near an airport in the central city of Isfahan early on Friday morning.
“The cause of these sounds is still unknown, and investigations continue until the exact details of the incident are determined,” Fars wrote.
Meanwhile, at around the same time, ABC News cited an unnamed US official as saying that Israeli missiles had hit a site in Iran.
Israel had threatened to retaliate after Iran launched drones and missiles at its airspace over the weekend.
Isfahan is Israel’s third most populous city and a major industrial hub. It’s also home to an Iranian airbase, and sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program.
