Iranian state media reported on Friday that the country had activated its air defence systems over the central city of Isfahan, to bring down three aerial objects, amid sounds of explosions. Flights were briefly suspended in many parts of the country, before the alert was lifted.
US broadcasters, quoting senior American officials, reported that Israeli missiles had hit Isfahan. Iranian officials said they were still confirming the source of the apparent attack by drones, while Israel has not commented on the incident.
Meanwhile, Syria’s state-owned SANA news agency quoted a military official as saying that missile strikes in the early hours of the morning had damaged air defence sites in the country’s southern region. The report blamed Israel.
The explosions in Isfahan and the attacks in Syria come amid a steady escalation in tensions between the two Middle Eastern nations since Israel began its war on Gaza. While Israel and Iran have been locked in a “shadow war” for decades, recent months have brought tensions to a boiling point — and prompted worries about a wider regional conflict.
Here’s a timeline of that recent escalation since the Gaza war broke out following an October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas.
On Saturday, Iran launched an air strike involving ‘hundreds’ of missiles and drones on Israel. The attack was, reportedly, in response to the missile attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
This could further escalate tensions between Israel and Palestine, the countries at war. Here’s a timeline of what has happened so far-
7 October 2023: Hamas, the Iran-backed terrorist group, launched a missile attack targeting Israel. In response, Israel conducted airstrikes on Gaza. PM Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war against the country.
1 November 2023: The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened. This crucial crossing point is the only path between Egypt and Palestine’s Gaza Strip. Although limited evacuations were permitted, the border was a lifeline for those seeking safety from war.
15 November 2023: Israel started conducting raids and attacking medical facilities as Hamas was reportedly operating from these hospital buildings and carrying out their warfare. However, Hamas denied any such claims.
19 November 2023: The Iran-backed Houthi group, based in Yemen, landed their helicopter on the Galaxy Leader cargo vessel as it was passing via the Red Sea. This marked the start of the ‘Red Sea Crisis,’ which eventually led to supply chain issues.
24 November 2023: Both Israel and Palestine agreed to call for a ceasefire. The nations started to release hostages from each side. However, hostilities and attacks resumed in the month after.
20 December 2023: Israel’s ground offenses in the Gaza Strip intensified at a rapid pace. This led to an increase in the death toll and the number of refugees. India urged for an ‘early and durable resolution’ between the warring nations.
23 January 2024: The UN Security Council said that the ‘Two-State Solution’ remains the only option for resolving the Middle East conflict. On the other hand, the ‘Red Sea crisis’ continued to escalate, resulting in inflationary and inventory pressures.
15 February 2024: The war continued to raise the death toll. The number of displaced people also surged to unprecedented levels. Despite Western military airstrikes targeting the bases of Houthi rebels in Yemen, supply chain disruptions persisted and in some cases worsened.
13 April 2024: Iran launched a missile attack on Israel. The attack was, allegedly, in response to a suspected Israeli strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria. This marked the first instance of Iran directly targeting Israel from its domestic territory.