Italian diplomat says Israel warned US about drone attack on Iran

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Israel warned the U.S. on Friday morning about a drone attack on Iran apparently targeting an air base and a nuclear site. 

Iranian air defense batteries were active after explosions were heard near the air base near the central city of Isfahan, The Associated Press reported. 

Tajani said the U.S. told the Group of Seven foreign ministers Israel’s notification came “at the last minute” in advance of the drone attack. 

“But there was no sharing of the attack by the U.S. It was … mere information,” the foreign minister said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the suspected Israeli strikes “reported events” during a press conference in Italy on Friday, but stressed the U.S. was not “involved in any offensive operations.”

Both countries’ officials and television networks minimized the strikes, The New York Times reported. Israel said the response was limited to prevent escalating the situation. An Iranian state TV anchor said the attack was “not a big deal.”

The strikes are part of a back-and-forth between Israel and Iran that was sparked early this month, when Israel killed multiple high-ranking Iranian commanders with a strike on a consulate in Syria. Iran responded over the weekend with missiles and drones, an attack that was largely neutralized by Israel’s and allied defense system shooting down incoming missiles.