TEHRAN, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran's air defense systems shot down several "flying objects" near the central city of Isfahan on Friday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
The report comes a few hours after explosions were heard in the city of Qahjavarestan, close to Isfahan's International Airport and an air force base.
Abdolrahim Mousavi, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, said the "suspicious flying objects" were intercepted and caused no damage, adding that investigations were underway, according to Fars.
Siavash Mihandoost, a senior military representative in Isfahan, attributed the explosions to the firing of air defense systems at "suspicious objects."
Following the incident, Iranian authorities activated air defense systems in several cities, including Tehran and Shiraz. Restrictions on airport operations were lifted a few hours later.
Amid concerns over the possibility of Iran's nuclear facilities being attacked, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Friday that there was no damage to Iran's nuclear sites during the event.
According to reports from U.S. news outlets, military sources in the U.S. indicated that Israel carried out strikes on Iranian targets on Friday. It was also reported that Israel had informed the U.S. of its plans to launch an attack on Thursday, although the U.S. did not express support for the action. ■
