Iranian official denies reports of explosions near Isafahan

Social media users said they heard the sound of an explosion at around 2 o’clock on Tuesday morning in Isfahan.

Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video.  (photo credit: WANA/REUTERS)
Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video.
(photo credit: WANA/REUTERS)

The sound of the explosion heard at midnight was due to seeing a luminous object and the test activity of the defense system,” the Public Relations Department of the Saheb al-Zaman Headquarters said in a statement on Tuesday.

It added that claims saying that the sound was due to a military exercise or enemy aggression are not true.

Social media users said they heard the sound of an explosion at around 2 o’clock on Tuesday morning in Isfahan.

Earlier in the morning, Iranian officials from the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base denied reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, Ynet reported. 

This report comes amid anticipation of a possible Israeli retaliatory strike following Iran's barrage of over 180 ballistic missiles onto Israel's territory.

 The Dome of the Rock on the Al-Aqsa compound, also known to Jews as the Temple Mount is seen as projectiles fly through the sky, after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel, as seen from Jerusalem October 1, 2024 (credit: REUTERS/JAMAL AWAD)
The Dome of the Rock on the Al-Aqsa compound, also known to Jews as the Temple Mount is seen as projectiles fly through the sky, after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel, as seen from Jerusalem October 1, 2024 (credit: REUTERS/JAMAL AWAD)

So when's the attack?

A Monday New York Times report cited officials as saying Israel's response to Iran's missile barrage attack at the beginning of October will not be attacking its nuclear facilities but rather targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's military bases and intelligence sites.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is set to head to Washington DC on Tuesday, where he is expected to discuss regional security, while the United States seeks to weigh in on the scope of Israel’s anticipated retaliatory strike against Iran.

This is a developing story.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.