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

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. He added that the fighter jets were flying east.

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 the Iranian city of Isfahan, some 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away, and east of Israel.

Iranian state television described all atomic sites in the Isfahan area as “fully safe.” The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, also said “there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites” after the commotion.

The facility at Isfahan operates three small Chinese-supplied research reactors, as well as handles fuel production and other activities for Iran’s civilian nuclear program.

In response, Iran fired air defense batteries Friday after reports of explosions near a major air base in the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. It remained unclear if the country was under attack, but tensions remain high after Iran’s unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel. 

IRNA said the defenses fired across several provinces. It did not elaborate on what caused the batteries to fire, though people across the area reported hearing the sounds.

Israel vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented weekend attack, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of fighting in Gaza. Allies have urged Israel to hold back on any response to the attack that could spiral.

Israel Gave US Last-Minute Warning about Drone Attack on Iran

The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers on Friday that it received “last minute” information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, Italy’s foreign minister said.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the United States provided the information at a Friday morning session that was changed at the last minute to address the suspected attack. Tajani said the US informed the G7 ministers that it had been “informed at the last minute” by Israel about the drones. “But there was no sharing of the attack by the US. It was a mere information.”

He said Italians living in Iran were all accounted for and “without problems.”

Israeli Far-Right Minister's X Post Draws Condemnation

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared to ridicule a suspected Israeli strike on Iran Friday morning, posting a single word to X: “Lame.”

The attack hasn't been confirmed by Iranian or Israeli officials. Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting suspected Israeli drones.

The attack is thought to be an Israeli retaliation to Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.

Ben-Gvir’s post drew condemnation from Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who said that the firebrand minister had inflicted “heavy” damage on the country’s “security, its image, and its international status.”

“In an unforgivable one-word tweet, Ben-Gvir managed to mock and shame Israel from Tehran to Washington” Lapid wrote on X.

Turkey Says Iran-Israel Tensions Risk Becoming ‘Permanent Conflict’

Turkey's Foreign Ministry says that it's becoming clear that tensions between Iran and Israel risk “turning into a permanent conflict."

“In light of the latest developments, it is becoming increasingly evident that the tensions that were initially caused by Israel’s illegal attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus risk turning into a permanent conflict," according to a statement from the ministry.

“We call on all parties to refrain from steps that could lead to a wider conflict. The priority of the international community should be to stop the massacre in Gaza and to ensure lasting peace in our region by establishing a Palestinian state.”