in what is feared to be a ratcheting—up of the conflict in the middle east, explosions have been heard in iran. two us officials have confirmed to our broadcast partner cbs news that it was an attack from israel. state television in iran has reported explosions near an army base and an airport in the central city of isfahan, activating local air defence systems. isfahan is home to iran's nuclear facilities. blasts have also been reported in the country's north—west. video online shows iranian defence missiles being fired into the air. commercial flights were initially diverted around iranian airspace, but iranian media say all restrictions have now been lifted. ishafan is the location of iran's nuclear sites. the international atomic energy agency has confirmed there is no damage to the facilities. in a social media post, the agency's director general rafael mariano grossi continued to call for extreme restraint from everybody and said nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts.

our security correspondent frank gardner has provided his assessment of the situation. my assessment, for what it is worth, is this crisis is over, it has been averted for now. it does not end the middle east's problems, but the real fear of the tit—for—tat escalating exchange of fire between israel and iran for now at least appears to be over. why? let's take it back to april the 1st. there was a devastating air strike on iran's consulate in damascus. it flattened it. it was a targeted, precision strike which israel did not say it did, but everyone knows it was israel. it killed 13 people, including two top iranian generals. iran vowed a strong response. the region held its breath, the middle east held its breath for 13 days, and then we got the answer.

last weekend, over saturday night into sunday morning, there was a barrage, a swarm attack by iran against israel with 330 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. nearly all of these were shot down by israel, by the us navy, by the raf, byjordan�*s air defences, and possibly even the saudis. so nobody was killed in that, but it was still the first time that iran had done a direct attack from iranian soil against israel on its own territory. so, not using proxies like hezbollah in lebanon and the houthis in yemen, but a direct attack. israel felt it had to respond, and all this week we have seen urgent appeals by the west, israel's friends in the us and elsewhere, saying,

"please don't respond forcefully, leave it at that." "take the win," president biden said. "we shot down all the missiles, you are safe, nobody got killed. you have made your point." but israel still felt it had to respond to try and kind of show that it can still deter iran. what we have seen this morning is a very limited, calibrated, symbolic strike. very important where it has hit. the fact there is no damage that we can see, no casualties, that is fine. iran said it will not respond, that is great. but look at where it hit. isfahan province, that is home to iran's uranium enrichment facility and several nuclear facilities and several airbases, several military centres, and israel is making the point that it can strike there and it could strike in a much stronger way if it chose to. our security correspondent frank

gardner back. prime minister rishi sunak has also spoken about the developing situation. here's some of what he had to say. with the situation overnight, as you would appreciate, it's a developing situation. it would not be right for me to speculate until the facts become clear, and we're working to confirm the details with allies. we have condemned iran's dangerous and reckless barrage of missiles against israel on saturday and israel absolutely has the right to self—defence. but as i said to prime minister netanyahu when i spoke to him last week, and generally, a significant escalation is not in anyone�*s interests. what we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region. uk ministers office here in downing street say they are still working to establish the facts here. they said

they were not surprised by what happened here. the uk side, their view has always been and continues to be that israel has a right to self—defence, but they have been urging israel throughout to act in way to de—escalate the situation. what we have heard this morning is from a senior minister, cabinet minister here, mel stride, who is the work and pensions secretary, he has been saying this morning on the bbc that the situation in the region and he described it as a very problematic and febrile and added that it was very important that both iran and israel acted to de—escalate. iran and israel acted to de-escalate._ iran and israel acted to de-escalate. , ., ., . de-escalate. on the diplomatic front, de-escalate. on the diplomatic front. there — de-escalate. on the diplomatic front, there had _ de-escalate. on the diplomatic front, there had been - de-escalate. on the diplomatic front, there had been talks - de-escalate. on the diplomatic| front, there had been talks with de-escalate. on the diplomatic - front, there had been talks with the us, uk and either delete like you enhancing your sanctions, is that they will focus on to try to contain iran or is the focus more on trying to get a ceasefire in gaza and de—escalate there? i to get a ceasefire in gaza and de-escalate there?— to get a ceasefire in gaza and de-escalate there? i think you have multile de-escalate there? i think you have multiple prongs _ de-escalate there? i think you have

multiple prongs where. _ de-escalate there? i think you have multiple prongs where. on - de-escalate there? i think you have multiple prongs where. on the - de-escalate there? i think you have | multiple prongs where. on the issue of sanctions, that action was taken yesterday by the uk and the us, sanctioning both iran's defence minister and the head of its central military command, along with companies, organisations involved in the production of drones. that was designed, the uk government said yesterday, specifically to send a message to iran, to target those involved, both in the military and on the industrial side in the production of the weapons used to target israel the other day. and also to send a message to israel to say that the uk and the us would be part of a coordinated response to iran. that is of course separate from efforts to try to get some sort of negotiation, ceasefire to do with gaza. but a real sort of overriding

concern i think for the us and uk and other allies, g7 countries, is the idea that they saw that original attack from iran into israel as highly problematic, destabilising. the first time we had seen a direct attack like that, now we see israel possibly back into iran. that itself is a dynamic they are concerned about. so too is the fact that there are many other elements to this, many other pieces, the sort of jigsaw in the middle east, iran's group that it funds and supports and provides with weapons, both in lebanon, in yemen, and then all of that adds to a very complicated picture, which means it difficult, unstable dynamic. there may be a signal from unstable dynamic. there may be a signalfrom one side unstable dynamic. there may be a signal from one side to the other then they will take a response, but does that contribute to a de—escalation or an escalation? everybody here wants to see things, you know, tensions reduced and no

room for any miscalculation in reading any of those signals. damian grammaticas — reading any of those signals. damian grammaticas there. _ reading any of those signals. damian grammaticas there. we _ reading any of those signals. damian grammaticas there. we are - reading any of those signals. damian l grammaticas there. we are monitoring a news conference being given in capri. we have heard from the italian foreign minister and we are also expecting from the us secretary of state and we will be new but as soon as it happens. so far the messaging from the g7 is that they will continue to work to prevent the conflict between israel and iran escalating. they will continue to work to this end is what they have said. with me is siavash ardalan from bbc persian. just go back to the beginning of this, the reaction so far that we have had has been described as quite muted from iran, tell us what that says at this stage now that these reported is attacks have happened. given the fact that the iranian authorities said if it should be on authorities said if it should be on a severe scale they would immediately respond, the head of iran's irgc said they had their

fingers on the triggers, so to speak. on a reigning commander said that if israel attacks iran's nuclear sites, that iran may review its policy, which means this policy of not going for a nuclear weapons or not trying to build nuclear weapons, as opposed to now where it is a threshold nuclear state. those are ominous threats designed to deter israel. what happened in terms of the iranian attack to israel as a show of deterrence is something curiously that iranians have not been, other than in broad terms, been, other than in broad terms, been bombastic about, neither rejecting nor confirming those reports from us officials, from israeli officials that the attack was an abject failure. because you have two contradictory narratives at the time, on the one hand they say this attack was very measured and calibrated, not to inflict damage to be flashy, but on the other hand you

heard that iran miserably fail, you heard that iran miserably fail, you heard president biden telling israel to take the win and to be happy with the victory that has been achieved. so the iranians have not really rushed to try to deny those reports. so i guess that is also part of the attempt to play down everything. obviously it is difficult to get an idea of exactly what is happening in iran because of the lack of report from there, but how do iranians feel about israel itself? what do you know about the mood music within iran about israel? fine know about the mood music within iran about israel?— iran about israel? one interesting thing which _ iran about israel? one interesting thing which has _ iran about israel? one interesting thing which has been _ iran about israel? one interesting thing which has been said - iran about israel? one interesting thing which has been said of- iran about israel? one interesting thing which has been said of iran | iran about israel? one interestingl thing which has been said of iran is that it thing which has been said of iran is thatitis thing which has been said of iran is that it is probably one of the most pro—israeli societies in the middle east, in the islamic world. that is very interesting because the government's policy 45 years after the i979 government's policy 45 years after the 1979 islamic revolution has been the 1979 islamic revolution has been the destruction of israel, that is what they have been saying, pumping out anti—israeli propaganda and

support the palestinians, diverting resources toward helping palestinian proxies. that has not had an effect on iranians at home who feel that the harsh economic conditions inside the harsh economic conditions inside the country, the sanctions and they have been paying a very high price for this anti—israeli policy. so they are blaming the government. you have large portions of society, whether they are the majority i don't know, but there are many anecdotal accounts, a lot of chatter on social media as well as opposition media outlets constantly promoting israel's narrative. we hear that iranians, because of the spine of resentment against the government itself, a lot of people are cheering for the opposite team actually, hoping that an israeli attack might not necessarily hit civilian populations but might strike iranian military bases, especially the irgc, because it is interesting that in iran today it is

not a war footing, it is not ready a manifestation of what is going on with israel. it is really a state of oppression. today the government over the past week, ever since the start of that retaliatory attack against israel, has been cracking down on women for not wearing hijab is. so you see riot police on the streets beating women, harassing them, taking them and throwing them into vans. the same kind of thing which triggered those nationwide protests. so a lot of people are saying, "hey, we are being repressed at home by a government that doesn't seem to care are about our opinion," so there is a lot of issue in terms of the regime losing a lot of its popular base. and even worrying some regime supervisors that going on a war footing two worrying some regime sympathisers is putting on a war footing, you are weakening public opinion and driving the people and the public into the israeli arms and

narratives. ., ~' , ., , the public into the israeli arms and narratives. ., ~ , ., , . narratives. thank you very much indeed for _ narratives. thank you very much indeed for that _ narratives. thank you very much indeed for that insight _ narratives. thank you very much indeed for that insight there. - and injust over an hour — 11.30 gmt, that'512.30 british summer time — we will answer all your questions on the iran—israel situation live during �*your questions answered'. so get in touch and send in your questions using the hashtag #bbcyourquestions — or email yourquestions@bbc.co.uk.

let's turn to the war in ukraine now, where local officials say two russian missile attacks have killed at least nine people in the central region of dnipropetrovsk. the station in the main city dnipro came under attack, and several homes were hit further east in synelnykove. officials say at least 15 people were injured. president volodymyr zelensky said the attack highlighted the need for every city to have

adequate air defences.