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Iran’s foreign minister played down Israel’s limited military attack on Friday, claiming it “was not a strike” and refusing to acknowledge Israeli involvement.
“It has not been proven to us that there is a connection between this and Israel,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told NBC.
“They were more like toys that our children play with — not drones,” he added.
It came as an Israeli official said it was intended only to convey to Iran that Israel has the ability to hit targets inside the country.
The attack appeared to target an Iranian Air Force base near the city of Isfahan, deep inside the country, but without striking any strategic sites or causing major damage.
It came as a man was killed at another base being used by Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
Two security sources said it was not known who was responsible for the air strike. A US official said there had been no US military activity in Iraq.
One PMF fighter was killed and six were wounded, according to sources at the nearby hospital in Hilla. The group did not confirm any deaths in its initial statement.
It said: “An investigation team immediately arrived at the scene, and the explosion caused material losses and injuries. We will provide you with the details once the preliminary investigation is completed.”
Turkey says ending Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is 'first priority'
Tension between Israel and Iran should not distract from the situation in Gaza and the first priority of the international community should be ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Fidan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said there was concern in the region over the ongoing escalation.
“We’ve warned of the expansion of the conflict from the very beginning,” he said.
“We’ve called on both parties (Iran and Israel) to exercise restraint.”
Fidan said the main cause of instability in the Middle East was Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and Western backing for Israel.
“Any development that could distract us from this fact should be ignored,” he said. “Our first priority should be ending Israel’s occupation in Palestine and a two-state solution.”
Iraq's PMF force says base was attacked, army investigates
A huge blast at a military base in Iraq early on Saturday killed a member of an Iraqi security force that includes Iran-backed groups.
The force commander said it was an attack while the army said it was investigating and there were no warplanes in the sky at the time.
Two security sources had said earlier that an airstrike caused the blast, which killed a member of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and wounded eight others at Kalso military base about 50 km (30 miles) south of Baghdad.
In a statement, the PMF said its chief of staff Abdul Aziz al-Mohammedawi had visited the location and reviewed information from investigators.
“The air defence command report confirmed, through technical efforts and radar detection, that there was no drone or fighter jet in the air space of Babil before and during the explosion,” the military said in a statement.
A video broadcast by Al Ahad TV, which is owned by a PMF faction, showed debris and a crater left by the explosion.
Moment huge explosion hits base of Iranian-backed Iraqi army unit
Footage released on social media on Saturday 20 April appears to show huge explosions at a military base belonging to Iraq’s Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Babylon, south of Baghdad.
The cause of the blast hasn’t been confirmed.
Footage from a car shows huge explosions in the distance from an ammunition depot inside the military base, followed by what appears to launch bright fragments into the sky and with huge smoke and fire.
A statement from the Iran-backed PMF said “an explosion occurred at the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces at the Kalsu military base”.
Moment huge explosion hits base of Iranian-backed Iraqi army unit
Footage released on social media on Saturday 20 April appears to show huge explosions at a military base belonging to Iraq’s Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Babylon, south of Baghdad. The cause of the blast hasn't been confirmed. Footage from a car shows huge explosions in the distance from an ammunition depot inside the military base, followed by what appears to launch bright fragments into the sky and with huge smoke and fire. A statement from the Iran-backed PMF said "an explosion occurred at the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces at the Kalsu military base". One PMF fighter was killed and six were wounded, according to sources at the nearby hospital in Hilla. The Independent is unable to independently verify the content, date and conditions under which the footage was filmed.
Hamas condemns explosion at Iraqi base
Hamas “strongly condemns” reported explosions on a base of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq and “considers it a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty”, Al Jazeera reported.
“We hold the Biden administration responsible for the escalation in the region through its supply and support for the Nazi war of extermination against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” the group said in a statement.
‘Latest strike like a children’s toy rather than drone’ Iran brushes off Israel attack
Iran’s foreign minister played down Israel’s limited military attack on Friday, claiming it “was not a strike” and refusing to acknowledge Israeli involvement.
“It has not been proven to us that there is a connection between this and Israel,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in an NBC News interview about the operation.
“They were more like toys that our children play with — not drones,” he added.
An Israeli official, who confirmed the strike on the condition of anonymity to discuss the government’s thinking, said it was intended only to convey to Iran that Israel has the ability to hit targets inside the country.
The “attack” appeared to be calibrated as a message to Tehran that would not prompt an immediate retaliation.
'Bombing' hits Iraq military base housing pro-Iranian force, Iraqi officials say
An explosion rocked the Calso military base in Babylon province south of Baghdad, where Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, or Hashed al-Shaabi, is stationed, according to two officials.
A ministry of interior official said the “aerial bombing” had killed one person and wounded eight others, while the military source reported three Iraqi military personnel had been wounded in a strike.
In a statement, Hashed al-Shaabi said an “explosion” had inflicted “material losses” and casualties, without specifying the number of wounded.
The group confirmed that its premises on the military base had been hit and that investigators had been sent to the site.
Responding to questions from AFP, the security sources would not identify who was responsible, or say whether it had been a drone strike.
“The explosion hit equipment, weapons and vehicles,” said the ministry source.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Iran says it will respond at 'maximum level' if Israel acts against its interests
Iran has said it will respond at an immediate and “maximum level” if Israel acts against its interests.
“If Israel wants to do another adventurism and acts against the interests of Iran, our next response will be immediate and will be at the maximum level,” foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said, speaking through a translator, in an interview with NBC News.
“But if not, then we are done. We are concluded,” he said.
His comments follow reports of a strike in Iran on Friday.
Iran and Israel won’t stop fighting, but WW3 has been averted… for now
From the early hours of this morning, a blizzard of reports spoke of an attack on an airbase near Isfahan, in central Iran. Such an attack was hardly unexpected. For all the appeals, from the US, the UK, and many others, Israel had left no doubt that it would mount a military response to Iran’s failed assault the week before.
Mary Dejevsky writes:
Iran’s nuclear sites unharmed, says UN watchdog after explosions heard
Iran fired its air defence batteries and shut down flight operations in several parts of the country as Israel allegedly launched retaliatory missiles in an overnight attack.
It was unclear if Iran came under attack, as no Iranian official directly acknowledged the possibility and Israel’s military has so far not responded to The Independent’s request for comment.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports:
G7 foreign ministers' communique warns of new sanctions on Iran and urges de-escalation
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who chaired the meeting of ministers of industrialized countries, said the agenda of the three-day meeting was changed on Friday to address the latest developments.
Early Friday, Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones. They were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country last weekend.
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2024-04-20 14:29:26Z
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