Israel hit Iran with a missile overnight

WASHINGTON, US

US officials say Israel hit Iran with a missile overnight on Friday, in what appears to be a retaliatory strike after weeks of escalating tensions between the two countries.

There are competing claims about the scale of the attack on the Isfahan region and the extent of any damage, with Iranian state media downplaying its significance.

It comes after weeks of soaring tensions between the regional rivals, which have already seen an Israeli attack on an Iranian compound in Syria, and Iran launch an unprecedented assault against Israel.

Israel does not routinely confirm its military actions, which have targeted Iranian-backed armed groups in Syria and Iraq on many occasions.

However, US officials have confirmed to the BBC's partner CBS News that an Israeli missile hit Iran in the early hours of Friday.

It is unclear what type of weapons were used or where they were launched from.

US sources said a missile was involved in the attack, while Iran said it had involved small drones.

Iran's government tightly controls access to the country. The BBC does not have direct access to the central region of Isfahan, where this incident played out overnight.

Some Iranian officials and media have confirmed there was an attempted strike but are downplaying the significance of it. There have been no reports of casualties.

Iran's Fars news agency said explosions were heard near an army base and air defence systems were activated.

A state media channel quoted a general in Isfahan as saying explosions heard in the area were "due to air defence firing at suspicious objects", and saying there had been no damage.