Israel strikes Iran, Israeli official says; White House declines to comment on attack

Washington Post-April20th2024

Israel carried out a strike on Iran early Friday in retaliation for a barrage of missiles and drones launched last weekend, an Israeli official said. It was not clear what damage the strike caused, but the official — who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters — said it was intended to signal that Israel has the ability to strike inside Iran.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to comment on whether Washington was warned about the strike, but emphasized that “the United States has not been involved in any offensive operations.” U.S. officials at multiple government agencies told The Washington Post that the Biden administration instructed them not to speak publicly about the strike.

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Iranian state media was muted in its response to the attack, saying Iran’s air defense systems intercepted “three small drones” in Isfahan province.

There was no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites, including those in Isfahan, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday morning. Isfahan province is the site of Iran’s largest nuclear research complex; the area is also home to a military base.