Israel launched a retaliatory attack on Iran on Thursday evening, April 18, 2024, escalating fears of a war between the two countries. The attack was in response to the Iranian attack on Saturday, April 13.
According to Iranian officials, the Israeli strike hit a military base near the tourist city of Isfahan and additional missiles were struck down north of the city. The city is also home to nuclear facilities, which are reported to be untouched.
Currently, both countries appear to be downplaying Thursday’s attack. According to NBC News, Israel’s response to taking responsibility for the attack is “no comment,” and the New York Times report that Iranian media is calling the attack “not a big deal” and resuming their regular programming.
The United States was not involved in the attack, but NBC News reported that Israel did notify the U.S. that a counterattack was coming.
In other Israeli news, the C.I.A. Director William Burns said that Hamas rejected a proposal to stall fighting for another hostage exchange.
