the, the, you're watching the news coming to live from berlin, reports of explosions in the sky over iran. iranian media, say air defense systems were activated at a nuclear facility near the central city of is find this after israel valid retaliation for runs unprecedented drone and missile attack. last week we'll go live to israel for the very latest. also coming up on the show today, indian prime minister in a rental mode, he chases another term in office as voting starts in the world's biggest election. the

. i'm quite richardson, thank you very much for joining us. we begin today with reports of explosions in the sky over iran. media sources reported there that error defensive systems were activated at a military base. and a nuclear facility near the central city of san tyrone temporarily closed its air space and flights were diverted from iranian aerospace and iranian senior commander told iranian state tv that there was no major damage following the incidents as well. have vowed retaliation for an iranian missile and rhone attack. last saturday, iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles at israel in that attack. almost all of them though, were intercepted so very much a developing story here. let's see if we can get the very latest from our correspondent rebecca renters in jerusalem. rebecca,

what can we say for sure at this point about what we're looking at here and what has happened and it run ok. i'll preface everything which saying that what we, what we can say for sure is very limited. this is, as you say, a developing story. the picture of what really happened is still very much unclear, very difficult to say what we know for sure. what we do know, as you mentioned, is that us officials have a concern to us media. we're seeing those reports that in iran that an is riley account. a strike has taken place, there were reports and the early hours of the morning of explosions. oh, the, that southern city of it is the hon. we're also hearing a report that there was a separate, a separate reports of explosions over another c c to breeds. and that they were hearing that the defense systems were activated in is for han, and that indeed is some on identified objects where shut down over those areas of

randy and state tv. confirming that that happened that we were seeing all the reports from the writing and state tvs saying that this was merely propaganda and nothing happened at all. so you can see just how unclear the picture is, but it as it unfolds, it does same from these reports that we're getting from. is us officials confirming that in the tech has taken place? we've had no comment from is why we have reached out to the military. they are not willing to comment on anything of this stage. that is not uncommon. they generally don't a for one, but the us official saying that they did for one, the american government that they would be carrying out a retaliatory strike within 48 hours. it does appear. certainly looking that way that that is what has happened though, as i say, it is really difficult to say anything for sure at this stage. and what we do know though, is that the space was closed over the pots of iran. certainly airports were closed

. the that has all been reopened now, so that giving an indication of, you know, around thinking that there that is the end of the attack we, we've heard from the home front to model. rather i should say we haven't heard anything from the home front. come on here in israel issuing no warnings to civilians that perhaps, you know, giving an indication that israel is also not imminently worried of any retaliation from iran. but as i say these reports developing, what keeping across everything here very much. not a clear picture this morning. plan is fun, is home to sites associated with it runs a nuclear program. can you tell us a little bit more about this for han and and whether that might make it a potential is really target that's true. that's a, it is an area that does have nuclear facilities. the, that of course was one of the concerns that israel would directly attack one of

those facilities. it doesn't appear to be the case. certainly not from what we're hearing. we, we around state media was very quick to say that they are right in nuclear facilities in the area with safe, they will on hand. it's not clear whether they with a target. and we've also had confirmation from the international atomic agency, confirming that there has been no damage to those nuclear facilities in the area. so it's very difficult to say whether or not that was the a potentially no one could assume that it may have been, well, you know, if this is confirmed isn't, is riley strike that, that may be something that they were trying to, you know, appear to be attacking but yeah, as i say, very difficult to say at this stage, only know that confirmation has come out that there is a no damage to any nuclear facility. so iran has been very clear to say that should something like that happen. should they be a direct attack to any of radians targets that they would strike back and strike back decisively. so we're waiting now of course to see whether they'll be in

a rainy and response to this reported attack. but at this stage, you know, very much events unfolding. and since the weekend all eyes have really been on israel. the ball has been in its court since those iranian retaliatory attacks which did cause more limited damage then then they could house and bite and warrens netanyahu to take the wind, suggesting that this was actually a loss for iran. does this what we're seeing here in iran now suggest that israel is taking biden's advice here, as it certainly appears that way as i say. and i'll reiterate again. we just don't simply know exactly what has been carried out or not. we don't know yet, 100 percent, whether this was an in his riley attack though. it certainly looking that way. but if it is confirmed and leave it, indeed that is the end of the retaliatory attack, then you know, we, we could definitely take it to maine, that israel was,

has been listening to the, by the administration in particular, the other allies as well. german foreign minister was here just the other day as well as the british foreign minister and both were urging restraints in this area that no one wants to see a wide conflict break out in a direct conflict between israel in a wrong. so, you know, certainly a lot of pressure being put on israel to take, as you say, what by them stating that quote to benjamin netanyahu. shortly after a ron's metallic tree attack on saturday was that they should take this is a win 99 percent of those missiles were shot out of the sky. they were intercepted and that the, this should be taken as a wind israel. and in fact, almost urging not to retaliate at o is ralph said that was absolutely not okay. that, that they would definitely going to retaliate in some way. but it does appear that they have been convinced to make it a very limited retaliation. there were reports

a yesterday, in fact, in local media and us media saying that israel had agreed to carry out only a limited attack at full, the tacit agreement or approval of the us to go into for a wider attack into the gauze and city of rafa. the that southern city that we've been talking about for so long now. with so many gallons of the sheltering from the rest of the strip. and that is something that we've been hearing reports of. the israel say that it would, it would agree to a much smaller metallic tree attack in iran for the tacit approval of its operation in rafa. so perhaps that is what we're seeing. once again, i'll reiterate that. we still don't have a clear picture of exactly what has taken place. rebecca, thank you very much. let's do that. these correspondent rebecca rivers in jerusalem to we can speak now. it to ben, him a bennett teller, blue. he is a security analyst at the washington base foundation for defense of democracies. welcome to the show after the run an attack on israel at the weekend as well,

but promise it would strike back on its own timeframe. and we have a u. s. officials declined to comment, but us broadcast networks at quoting unnamed us officials to say that israel did carry out this attack on iran. eh, is that so? is that also your assessment here? pleasure. be with you? yes, that's the latest and then that it continues to be my assessment. i'm also keeping an eye on the wrong if you did have an interesting spit of things saying that yes indeed, it running the air defenses have been activated. they also alleged that some smaller drones were shot down, but there was no major damage. it takes too soon to tell if this is an offer him or the beginning of a much larger operation or as your previous correspond to mention some kind of political quick pro quote. to take the focus off the ron. and to go back to ralph, i actually finished the job these. it'd be a mouse, lots of fast moving parts. but again, to reiterate,

in the high likelihood that this is real. and again, i am inclined to believe those us media sources that were based on those on named us government officials. this is indeed retaliation. uh for that. ready that barrage of $300.00 plus ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones that a ron shot in the historic 1st direct attack against israel. because even in the lead up to that direct attack is really officials were messaging is really territory was truck. iranian territory would be struck and why do you think we have not yet heard official confirmation from iranian officials? here you say you're hearing reports from iranian media, but as of yet we've, we've heard no official condemnation from iran because to tie to israel would in this case have to invoke the new doctrine in the aftermath of the runs of storage strike. uh that the i already see had claim that if there was an attack by israel, any runs assets even outside of the country, but definitely to was inside the country. at this moment, the public would reserve the right to respond with over military force from within

their country. again. so kind of a change these longer public moving further and further out of the shadows in what previously was at 40 plus your shadow war with the jewish states. so that might be tempting down expectations for escalation, particularly at a time when the vast majority of its projectiles were indeed intercepted and shot down. can you tell us a little bit about the city of s for han and it's it's defense sites there. why might this have been a target, a sure suggest the haven to buy a little bit of historic background? this bond was the capital of your honor pressure once about half of the lady though, there's tons of you'd ask a world heritage sites. but for a, you know, the purpose of this audience and for more importantly purposes of these rallies is fine, is home to a series of nuclear complexes. there is a nuclear technology research center. the vast majority of the runs enriched uranium is stored in lots of facilities and canisters, and it's fun. and then just a little bit further out towards the west, if i'm not mistaken, there was

a major military base. and in particular, a missile based on the outskirts of that town i, if what is being reported was true or that it was an attack on a military base. that raises the question which, which one? because just slightly further south of this, behind you have a national military base for the air force, the ar test. as you know these moment public has to do with like military is the audiological military. these monica evolutionary guard corps and the national military. the are attached, so both of them have to have presences in and around the province not necessarily tied to the city. so the last thing is because the running air defenses did indeed fire. one thing these realize may have been able to do if again, it was done with drones, was to under a threat that can go under the radar spooky running and get them to fire the air defenses in and around those vicinities, particularly in around the nuclear and the military and the missile facilities as to that their positions could be determined and in this sense be a potential future target. so you're suggesting that it could be

a way of testing and ron's defense capabilities. do you think that that is also what iran was trying to do with israel when it launched its drone and missile attacks over the weekend? it's an excellent question. i think it is part of what they want to do. sometimes the knock comes razor approach or the simplest explanation being the most likely does indeed hold true with a running behavior even though there is multiple levels to it. on that for a simple level as these level public, one of your respond kinetically overly, militarily b c. this taking revenge, but also try to wash away blood with blood cause mass damage. indeed they were looking to strike even at military. ringback these that they believe, had launched the attack on april 1st, that killed brigadier general as heavy of the i. r g. c could force in damascus as well as another brigadier general, as for some other members of the slavic resolution, or a guard core. beyond that, they were looking to test the operational capacity of some of their ballistic missiles, which they had never tested against is really defensive before. and indeed,

cd interoperability in the middle east with cruise missiles and drones. and just before i let you go, where does all of us leave us? do you think? do you expect to see a spiral of retaliatory strikes? and what might be the most likely response from tyrone at this point? this would be an interesting time to be privy to the conversations within the supreme national security council or the supreme leaders office. because they do indeed face a fork in the road and, and the again, one wonders if you use really military use of force was designed to put these logical public at this force in the road. either give them a face saving lot of retreat. so these lots of, i think doesn't have to escalate. or conversely, for these monica, i'd like to have to act on that previously stated change of doctrine and overt liam kinetically respond. but given the capabilities in the attempt, these monica has to respond to this shadow. war slash, this new, evolving over at war is nowhere near over. well, thank you so much for joining us on dw news that has been,

haven't been at tulsa with the foundation for defense of democracies. i appreciate your time. appreciate it. to turn into some other news now. and the world's largest democratic election has kicked off as people in india had to the polls holding for the lock. so i'll probably be lower house of parliament will continue through children. first. nearly a 1000000000 voters up and down the country are casting their ballots in 7 phases. the voting is staggered to give election, officials and security personnel time to move around the country. a prime minister and the render moody is seeking a 3rd term in power. full suggest he and his hender nationalist wp are on course to win a nother landslide adored by his supporters. some indians accuse him of fueling intolerance and xena phobia.