Iran and Israel appeared to step back from the brink of broader conflict amid ongoing tensions in the West Asian region.
There was no escalation as previously expected after Israel's alleged missile attack deep inside Iran.
The report claimed that the alleged attack was a warning for Iran to think "twice before launching a direct attack on Israel in future".
The photo, captured near Isfahan’s dual-use airport and air base, some 320 kilometres (200 miles) south of Tehran, showed an area nearby that served as a deployment point for the air defence system.
Watch: Iran President Ebrahim Raisi's Lahore visit scaled down, sources cite security clearance issue × "This strike shows Israel has the ability to penetrate Iran’s air defence systems.
Iran and Israel appeared to step back from the brink of broader conflict amid ongoing tensions in the West Asian region. There was no escalation as previously expected after Israel's alleged missile attack deep inside Iran.
Israel has not taken responsibility for the attack, but satellite photos taken on Monday suggest that the strike targeting Iran’s central city of Isfahan hit a radar system for a Russian-made air defence battery. The report contradicts Iranian officials' statements that there's no damage in the assault.
The New York Times reported that a high-tech missile was used by Israel. It was able to evade Iran's radar systems. The report claimed that the alleged attack was a warning for Iran to think "twice before launching a direct attack on Israel in future".
Citing two Western officials and two Iranian officials, the report said that the strike reportedly damaged a defence system which was responsible for detecting and destroying aerial threats near Natanz.
The report mentioned that an Israeli weapon had struck a Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft system at a military base in the nearby province of Isfahan.
The latest satellite images taken Monday morning by Planet Labs PBC supported the source-based reports. The photo, captured near Isfahan’s dual-use airport and air base, some 320 kilometres (200 miles) south of Tehran, showed an area nearby that served as a deployment point for the air defence system.
As reported by The Associated Press, the burn marks sit around what analysts including Chris Biggers, a consultant former government imagery analyst, previously had identified as a "flap-lid" radar system used for the S-300.
Watch: Iran President Ebrahim Raisi's Lahore visit scaled down, sources cite security clearance issue × "This strike shows Israel has the ability to penetrate Iran’s air defence systems. The precision of it was quite remarkable," said Nicole Grajewski as quoted by the news agency. Grajewski is a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment's nuclear policy programme who wrote a forthcoming book on Russia and Iran.
An escalation between Iran and Israel began when Israel was blamed for carrying out an air strike on April 1 against Iran's consulate in Damascus, killing seven Iranian officials from the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran responded with its first-ever direct attack on Israel, involving hundreds of drones and missiles, though almost all were shot down by Israel and its allies.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)
