US officials confirm Israel carried out strike inside Iran: Reports

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Israel has carried out a strike inside of Iran, multiple American media outlets reported Thursday citing anonymous US officials, in a move that threatens to further push the region towards war.

None of the reports identified the targets, but the attack comes in response to Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel over the weekend. Nearly all of Iran's missiles and drones were intercepted by Israel, the US and its regional allies.

Anonymous US officials told CBS News and ABC News that Israel used ballistic missiles to hit Iran.

Iran's official state TV confirmed "massive explosions" in central Isfahan province, and said no nuclear facilities were affected or targeted in the central Iranian city. The semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that three drones were destroyed in the skies above Isfahan Province.

The Israeli military has not commented on the reported attack yet, but it said a security meeting is currently underway at Israel's Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.

A US official who spoke to CNN said Washington did not "green light" Israel's attack.

"We didn't endorse the response," an official said. The official acknowledged that Israel had informed the US on Thursday that it would be carrying out a strike against Iran in the coming days.

It is unclear if that message was relayed during a virtual meeting between American and Israeli delegations that was held earlier on Thursday, but the White House said in its readout of the session that senior officials consulted "on a series of issues in the wake of Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack against Israel."

Iran carried out the attack on Israel in response to the April 1 bombing of its consulate in Damascus, Syria that killed seven Iranian military officers, including two top-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders for Syria and Lebanon.

Israel has not formally taken responsibility for the strike but has carried out attacks on Iranian targets across Syria in recent months. The US has denied having any role in it.

Israel had vowed to retaliate for the Iranian reprisal.