[HIGHLIGHTS] Israel-Iran conflict and war in Gaza, live | Iran activates its air defense and suspends flights after an attack attributed to Israel

Iran activated its air defense system this Friday and suspended flights after explosions in the city of Isfahan. American media, citing official sources from the Joe Biden Administration and the Israeli Government, have attributed the alert to an attack by Israel.

Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles in an attack in retaliation for a bombing of its embassy in Syria. This Friday's explosions occurred hours after the US veto on Thursday thwarted a vast diplomatic offensive at the UN to grant Palestine full member status. Despite the clear majority of support among the 15 members of the Security Council, the vote against the United States was enough to derail the Palestinian request. Iranian nuclear facilities are "completely safe," the country's media reported this Friday, citing "reliable sources," following reports that strong explosions have been heard in central Iran. The nuclear facilities in the province of Isfahan are completely safe, indicated the Tasnim agency, linked to the Revolutionary Guard, according to the country's media. More than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested this Wednesday on the campus of Columbia University, in New York. The rector, Nemat Minouche Shafik, authorized the city police to evict a camp set up by students against the Israeli actions in Gaza. The United States has vetoed resolutions of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on more than 40 occasions to support its ally, Israel, since the creation of the Jewish state and its entry as a member of the organization in 1948. The so-called 'Palestinian question' has led to the majority of US vetoes at the UN, and especially since 2000. In the 25 years since then, the U.S. has vetoed 17 Council resolutions, of which 15 have been relating to the Palestinian conflict. Russia (or its predecessor, the Soviet Union) has been the one that has exercised the veto the most, 128 times, compared to 85 times for the United States. Unlike the Russian or Soviet vetoes, which refer to diverse topics such as Ukraine, Syria, and North Korea.