The background to the Iranian missile and drone attacks was a suspected Israeli-led attack on the Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus, in which two generals of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were killed at the beginning of April. In recent days, Iran's military leadership has threatened a decisive response if Israel attacks Iran.
The Israeli military carried out the attack in retaliation for Tehran's drone and rocket fire last weekend. Several small flying objects were shot at in the sky over the Iranian province of Isfahan during the night. There had previously been reports of an explosion near the city of the same name, which, according to state media, was triggered by air defenses. According to the radio, there was no danger to the nuclear facilities there. Israel also fears its controversial nuclear program. The US has repeatedly accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran denies the allegations and asserts that its nuclear program is used for purely civilian purposes. The Jewish state finds itself under attack on multiple fronts following attacks by militias allied with Iran. Since the 1979 revolution, the USA and Israel have been considered archenemies of the Islamic Republic. Netanyahu has also described Iran as his "most important enemy" in the past. In the past few months since the Gaza War began, the decades-old conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated dramatically. In January 2023, a Defense Ministry ammunition factory near the metropolis of Isfahan was attacked with several small aircraft in Iran.