Australians urged to leave Israel after reported strike on Iran raises fears of escalation — as it happened (2024)

Thank you for joining us. Here is where things stand:

• Sources say Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil on Friday
• Iranian media reported explosions, which an Iranian official told Reuters were caused by air defense systems
• Three drones over the central city of Isfahan had been shot down, according to state media
• A senior Iranian official told Reuters Iran has no plan to strike back immediately
• A source familiar with the situation said the US was notified before Israel's attack
• The attack came days after Iran launched an unprecedented strike on Israel with a barrage of drones and missiles
• Israel's leadership and the military have not commented on the reports

Egypt's foreign ministry said it was "deeply concerned" about an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, following reports of an Israeli attack on Iran.

It also warned of the consequences of expanding the conflict and instability in the region.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has called on Iran, Israel and their allies to refrain from escalation in the Middle East.

"It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action," she said.

Israel carried out a missile strike targeting an air defense unit in its south and causing material damage, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement as saying.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strike hit a military radar for government forces. It was not clear if there were casualties, the Observatory said.

The Observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman said six Israeli fighter jets entered Syria’s airspace and were flying east when they were spotted by the radar.

The warplanes were seen around the time loud noises and drones were reported near a major Iranian air base and nuclear site early Friday.

That area of Syria is directly west of Isfahan, some 1,500 kilometers away, and east of Israel.

- AP

Let's take a look at how residents in Israel have responded to reports of the attack in Iran.

"Israel attacked Iran land because we were supposed to... we have no other option beside to react, but this is not the way we want it to be, we want to get back to our routine; our life - to run, to live our life, no more wars, enough."

— Tel Aviv resident Moshe Pretz

"We're good, you can look around, we're happy here, not from the attack but I think the situation in the Middle East is complicated but Israel will always win and everybody has to know that. So, enjoy your day and hope people in Iran will understand we are not seeking for war but we are seeking for peace and we want to be here safe, so, understand that."

— Pavlo Tzuk from Central Israel

"I am very sad that Israel attacked Iran and I am afraid what will happen now, what will be in Israel."

—Israeli resident Edna Reshef

Samir Puri from King's College London said the reported attack appeared to be no where near the scale of the one that Israel had suffered from Iran.

He said this could indicate that it was a targeted attack.

"If Iran has been struck by only a handful of Israel missiles it might have been a very precisely targeted attempt to strike Iranian military facilities, and in particular, facilities Iran might have used to launch its own attack a few days ago on April 13 against Israel," he told ABC News Channel.

Dr Puri said the great uncertainty was whether there would be further waves of Israeli attacks.

"We can't speak of this as a finished episode necessarily," he said.

"It is possible that Israel and Iran might back into their more undeclared way of sniping at each other and of striking blows at each other, which has been going on for years and decades through proxies and more covert action.

"The reason why this is such a show stopping and perilous moment is that they have not lobbed missiles and drones at each other from their own territory ever before.

"We are really hoping to see that this particular cycle comes to an end and clearly nothing is going to solve Iran and Israel's deep enmity in the region across many, many issues, made even worse by the conflict in Gaza.

"But we are just hoping to see that it slips away from this current phase."

In a statementOman's foreign ministry has condemned the reported Israeli attack on Iranian soil, as well as "the repeated Israeli military attacks in the region".

Oman has been acting as a mediator in the Middle East.

A senior Iranian official has told Reuters news agency Iran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel after sources said Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil.

"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed," the Iranian official said on condition of anonymity.

"We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack."

Earlier we covered that Iran had closed its airports in Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan after the reported attack.

It also cleared flights from the western portion of its airspace for a few hours after the attack, according to FlightRadar24.

State media is now reporting the airports and airspace have reopened.

Earlier we reported that DFAT had updated its travel advice for Iran, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Acting Foreign Minister Katy Gallagher has issued a statement following the reports.

"Australia remains extremely concerned about the potential for miscalculation and further escalation of conflict in the region," she said.

"This is in no one's interests.

"We urge all parties to exercise restraint and step back to avoid a further spiral of violence.

"Australia will continue working with partners to try to reduce tensions and prevent further regional spillover."

ABC correspondent Isabella Higgins who's currently in Jerusalem, says that after Iran struck Israel last weekend, world leaders have been trying to avoid a tit-for-tat escalation of retaliatory strikes:

"For days, world leaders have been urging calm on Israel, amid fears a major retaliation would drag the region into a serious war.

"The Middle East is on the on a precipice … one miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake, could lead to the unthinkable – a full-scale regional conflict," the UN's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

The Israeli Government made it clear they would respond to last weekend's unprecedented missile and drone attack from Iran.

Tehran said the barrage was a retaliatory strike in response to the killing of several Iranian leaders in a presumed Israeli air strike on an embassy in Damascus earlier this month — and the matter was now concluded.

The US, UK and European Union have been encouraging Israel to accept a package of international economic sanction in response to Iran's attack and avoid a serious military reprisal.

Israel's western partners felt this walked the tightrope of deterring Tehran, without further escalation.

But Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation would do what it felt it needed to defend itself.

"They also have all kinds of suggestions and advice, I appreciate it, but I want to make it clear — we will make our own decisions."

These decisions appear to be playing out in front of us right now — and the West will be watching anxiously."

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University of Melbourne Political Sciences lecturer Dara Conduit has told ABC News Channel the way that Israel and Iran are responding speaks to the severity of the situation.

"The government in Israel and the regime in Iran are both in difficult positions domestically and they both have a really strong need to show to a domestic audience that they are responding to this," she said.

"Israel, [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu in particular, needed to do this. Domestically he is in a really tight spot and he is very keen to show strength and also to highlight the regional risks that Israel faces."

Dr Conduit said how Iran was reacting was important with it trying to diminish the reports.

"There is a chance that Iranian officials, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will decide we can't accept this and we do need to respond and that is where there is a risk of miscalculation and a risk of mistakes and that is the scary part." she said.

Dr Conduit said she believed both sides were aware that there would not be "any winners of a direct conflict between the two states".

This is not what the White House wanted, according to Barbara Miller, the ABC's North America correspondent based in Washington DC:

"The US has been trying to dissuade its ally from retaliating for the Iranian weekend strikes.

The message from the administration was that Israel should take the win.

With the help of its allies it had repelled the vast majority of the Iranian drones and missiles.

The White House announced new sanctions on Iran in a further show of solidarity with Israel.

It became increasingly clear however that Israel would act, stoking fears in Washington of an escalating tit for tat situation.

From what we know so far this appears to have been a limited action.

If that's the case, there will be hope here that Iran may draw a line.

An interview Iran's Foreign Minister gave CNN just hours before news of the apparent Israeli action is cause for concern.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told the network Iran would respond immediately and "at a maximum level" if Israel struck.

Here is a recap of what is being reported as information continues to come in.

Three people familiar with the matter have told Reuters news agency Israel has attacked Iran.

Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones.

The reports come days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.

One source told Reuters the US was not involved but was notified by Israel before the attack.

Iran's Fars news agency reported three explosions were heard near an army base in the central city of Isfahan.

An Iranian official told Reuters there was no missile attack and the explosions were the result of the activation of Iran's air defense systems.

Iranian state TV said that shortly after midnight "three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan".

"The air defense system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky," state media reported.

The broadcaster later said the situation in Isfahan was normal and no ground explosions had occurred.

The Israeli military had no comment on the reports.

We mentioned earlier that an Iranian government official and state-run TV have suggested sites may have been targeted by drones.

We now have some more information on what has been said.

Hossein Dalirian, who is a spokesman for Iran's civilian space program, said on X that several small "quadcopter" drones had been shot down.

A state television reporter in Isfahan said the same in a live report, saying "several small drones were flying in the sky over Isfahan, which were fired at".

A senior commander of Iran's army has said no damage was caused in the overnight attack, according to state TV.

He added that the noise heard overnight in Isfahan was due to air defence systems targeting a "suspicious object".

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) has "urged" Australians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to leave "if it's safe to do so".

In updated travel advice, DFAT notes "a high threat of military reprisals and terrorist attacks against Israel and Israeli interests across the region".

"The security situation could deteriorate quickly, with little or no notice."

DFAT had already advised Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Israel and had warned against travel near Gaza or the West Bank beyond East Jerusalem.

But the request to leave is new.

DFAT warned military attacks could lead to travel disruptions including airspace closures. "Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport may pause operations due to heightened security concerns at any time, and at short notice."

A stronger 'do not travel' warning was already in place for Iran, but DFAT has updated its advice for that country, saying "regional tensions are high, and the security situation could deteriorate quickly with little or no notice."

Australian government officials have been directed not to leave the cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Tehran as a precaution.

'Do not travel' warnings remain in place for Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon.

Australian citizens and permanent residents can register their location and stay in contact with officials via DFAT's crisis registration portal.

Iran's Fars news agency reported three explosions were heard near an army base in the central city of Isfahan.

Malcolm Davis, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, has told ABC News the key facility in the area was the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

As we covered earlier, Iranian state media has described all nuclear sites in the area as "fully safe."

Dr Davis said it was a "harder and deeply buried target" and was one of the core aspects of Iran's potential to acquire nuclear weapons.

"There's also a series of military bases nearby that site as well as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps bases in the region," he said.

Dr Davis said Israel could not afford to allow Iran to get nuclear weapons.

"When you look at the size of Israel, the use of a nuclear weapon against Israel by Iran would be an existential threat to Israel itself," he said.

"So, I think that Israel would have every interest in preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons under any circ*mstances including if necessary through military strikes."

Here's what Allyson Horn, the ABC's Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem, says:

"I'll start by saying you never know what's going to happen in the Middle East – and that very little is still confirmed on this unfolding issue.

But if, as it appears, these are limited, targeted drone strikes on military facilities in Iran, then it would be considered at the lesser end of the responses that Israel could have exacted.

We need to still see what the damage is in Iran, and whether there have been any civilian casualties, because that could change what Iran decides to do next.

Last weekend, Iran launched a missile barrage against Israel — most of it intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system.

And after that Iranian attack, there was a lot of internal pressure from within Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, to hit-back immediately, and strike hard.

That doesn't appear to have happened – it wasn't immediate and it appears the US was given warning ahead of time. And it also appears to be only a few drones launched into Iran, targeting limited military sites.

That's not to say that the Israeli response isn't serious – it is. Israel is still directing an attack on Iranian soil, which in itself will be seen as a provocation. And Iran could decide that it has to respond.

So the threat of escalation is high – and it's real.

But, it could also be seen by Iran as an expected response by Israel – and one that didn't target civilians – therefore lessening Iran's appetite to prompt a wider-regional conflict."