Iranian media reported Thursday evening that air defense systems were activated in several areas of the capital, Tehran, and explosions were heard in the city. One report said the systems were apparently activated against hostile targets, but it was unclear whether an attack had occurred.
An IDF official told Ynet within minutes that Israel had not struck in Iran. A senior U.S. defense official later quoted by Al Jazeera also appeared to deny U.S. involvement, saying there was “no change in the ceasefire situation with Iran.”
Footage circulated from Tehran purportedly shows a flash in the sky following the activation of air defense systems
Sabereen News, an Iraqi outlet affiliated with pro-Iran militias, reported that there were indications no attack had taken place and raised the possibility the activity was a test of air defense systems. That report has not been confirmed by Iranian media. Sabereen later reported that Iranian air defenses had allegedly intercepted “two hostile drones that entered the airspace from west of Tehran.” That claim also lacks confirmation and its reliability is unclear.
The reports from Tehran come amid heightened alert in the Islamic Republic following threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to resume war against the clerical regime. Trump on Tuesday extended a temporary ceasefire, saying it was to give Iran’s “divided leadership” time to form a unified position on negotiations. He also warned he would renew the war if Iran continued to refuse talks while a U.S. naval blockade remains in place.
Officially, Trump has not set a new deadline, but U.S. officials were quoted Wednesday as saying the extension would not be indefinite. On Thursday, Trump published another lengthy post on his social media platform, Truth Social, again threatening Iran and warning that “the clock is ticking.”
Adding to tensions, the United States continues to bolster forces in the region. U.S. Central Command said Thursday that the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush had arrived in the Indian Ocean and is now under its responsibility. The carrier sailed about three weeks ago, circumnavigating Africa en route to the Persian Gulf to avoid the shorter Red Sea route, where it could have faced Houthi attacks. Its arrival significantly reinforces U.S. forces in the area. The U.S. Navy now has three carriers in the broader region: the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, part of the Indian Ocean, and the USS Gerald R. Ford reportedly in the northern Red Sea.
In Israel, Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a sharp threat against Iran, saying the country is “awaiting a green light from the United States” to resume the war. A central objective of a renewed campaign, he said, would be to eliminate the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was wounded in the opening strike of Operation Roaring Lion, in which his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed. Katz described the objective as “the elimination of the Khamenei dynasty” and also threatened “to return Iran to the dark ages by destroying key energy and power facilities and shattering national economic infrastructure.”
Shortly before the reports of air defense activity in Tehran, senior Iranian officials responded to an earlier post by Trump in which he repeated his claim that Iran’s leadership is divided. “Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know! The infighting is between the “Hardliners,” who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the “Moderates,” who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!” he wrote on Truth Social.
In response, senior Iranian officials issued statements that appeared coordinated. President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf released identical messages asserting there are no extremists or moderates in Iran. “The nation is united and will make the aggressor regret it,” they said. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei added: “The U.S. president should know that ‘extremist’ and ‘moderate’ are meaningless terms common in Western politics. In the Islamic Republic, all classes and factions are ultimately consistent and united under the orders of the supreme leader of the revolution.”
First published: 22:15, 04.23.26