Following the surprise attacks on at least one Iranian military site near the city of Isfahan early Friday morning, Iranian news agencies apparently attempted to minimize the story.
One of Iran's main news outlets, Mehr News, originally reported the sound of explosions near the city of Isfahan, stating that air defenses had been activated by "a suspicious object." Later, the site claimed the destruction of three small drones, while publishing a headline claiming "Complete tranquility in Isfahan."
At the time of publication, all news organizations affiliated with the Iranian government were denying any successful strikes, claiming that all drones had been eliminated before reaching their targets.
The government-owned Tasnim news agency claimed there had been "no foreign attack" on Isfahan or anywhere else in Iran.
An Iranian official reportedly told Reuters, "It is not yet clear who stands behind the attack at Isfahan." He also said there is no plan for an immediate retaliation.
The IRNA news site, also affiliated with the Iranian regime, did not report on the explosions in Iran, however, it did report on attacks by the "Zionist regime" in Syria and Iraq.
Several Iranian news sites also claimed that Iranian proxy Hezbollah was "pounding Israeli intelligence headquarters in Arab Al-Aramshe."
The IDF reported sirens in Israel's north, but no reports of damage have been received.
In addition to releasing only vague and brief reports of the attacks, several Iranian news sites also used the placement of the stories to minimize their impact.
Two Iranian news sites checked by All Israel News placed the reports near the bottom of their websites, under reports on weather and sports.
The military base near Isfahan is used by Iran's drone units and an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post it was used in the attacks on Israel at the beginning of the week.
Iran International, which is not affiliated with the Iranian government, reported the explosions as well as the closure of several airports in Iran in response to the attacks.
Iran News also reported explosions in the city of Tabriz, in the northwestern region of Iran, as well as a report that all passengers in Tehran's Khomeini International Airport had been instructed to evacuate during the initial attack.
The attack, which was widely reported to be an Israeli strike in response to Iran's massive aerial bombardment of Israel on Saturday night and Sunday morning, came on Supreme Leader Khamenei's 85th birthday.
While initial reports in international media claimed Israeli missiles carried out the attacks, the latest reports state that small drones were used, indicating that the attacks were launched from within Iran, or close by.
Some analysts have suggested that Iran is trying to minimize the strikes so that there will be no pressure to respond. Even prior to the Iranian strike on Israel, Iranian leaders claimed Iran had no interest in escalating the situation.
By using small drones, which would cause minimal damage, even in a successful strike, Israel achieved two goals, according to analysts: It demonstrated the ability to strike within Iran while minimizing the risk of retaliation.
Republished with permission from All Israel News.