Iran signals no plans to retaliate against Israel as the world ...

Iran has downplayed what sources say was an Israeli drone attack on its territory, saying it has no plans for retaliation.

The limited scale of the attack and Iran's muted response appeared to signal a successful effort by diplomats who have been working to avert all-out war since Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel last Saturday.

Iranian media and officials described a small number of explosions, which they said resulted from air defences hitting three drones over the city of Isfahan in central Iran.

There is a major air force base and nuclear facility in Isfahan.

Iran fired air defences at the nuclear facility after spotting drones in the area.(Planet Labs PBC via AP))

Notably, officials referred to the incident as an attack by "infiltrators", rather than by Israel, obviating the need for retaliation.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters there were no plans to respond against Israel for the incident.

"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," the official said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the drones caused no damage or casualties in comments made to the envoys of Muslim nations in New York and cited by Iranian media.

"The Zionist regime's media supporters, in a desperate effort, tried to make victory out of their defeat, while the downed mini-drones have not caused any damage or casualties," Mr Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying.

Israel said nothing about the incident and its ally Washington refused to be drawn.

Asked about it repeatedly at a press conference in Italy, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he would not comment, apart from saying that the US was committed to Israel's security but not involved in any offensive operations.

Former Israeli ambassador to Washington Itamar Rabinovich said "Israel tried to calibrate between the need to respond and a desire not to enter into a cycle of action and counter-reaction that would just escalate endlessly".

Violence between Israel and Iranian proxies across the Middle East has intensified throughout six months of bloodshed in Gaza, raising fears the longstanding shadow war between the countries could spiral into a direct conflict.

The attack by Iran on Israel had world leaders on edge.(Reuters: Ronen Zvulun)

Israel had said it would retaliate after Saturday's strikes, the first ever direct attack on Israel by Iran, which caused no deaths after Israel and its allies shot down hundreds of missiles and drones.

Tehran launched those attacks in response to a presumed Israeli air strike on April 1 that destroyed a building in Iran's embassy compound in Damascus and killed several Iranian officers including a top general.

In Iran, news reports on Friday's incident made no mention of Israel, and state television carried analysts and pundits who appeared dismissive about the scale. An analyst told state TV that mini drones flown by "infiltrators from inside Iran" had been shot down by air defences in Isfahan.

Shortly after midnight, "three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan. The air defence system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky," Iranian state TV said.

Israeli media avoided quoting Israeli officials directly, instead referring to foreign media reports that cited Israeli sources as confirming Israel was behind the attacks.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made no mention of the explosions heard in his country.(AP Photo: Vahid Salemi)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had warned Israel before Friday's strike that Tehran would deliver a "severe response" to any attack on its territory.

He did not mention the blasts in a speech made in Semnan province, east of Tehran on Friday local time.

By Friday morning, Iran had reopened airports and airspace that were shut during the strikes.

Allies including the US had pressed all week to ensure any further retaliation would be calibrated not to provoke more escalation.

The British and German foreign ministers visited Jerusalem this week, and Western countries tightened sanctions on Iran to mollify Israel.

There was no word from Israel on Friday as to whether further action might be planned.

Apart from direct strikes on Iranian territory, it has other ways of attacking, including cyber attacks and strikes on Iranian proxies elsewhere.

In a sign of pressure within Israel's hard-right government for a stronger response, Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right national security minister posted a single word on X after Friday's strikes: "Feeble".

Countries around the world called for calm.

"In light of reports of strikes on April 19th, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation," foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialised democracies said in a joint statement at the end of a meeting in Italy attended by Mr Blinken.

They also called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages held there by Hamas, an influx of aid for civilians in Gaza, and for Israel to hold off from attacking Rafah, the last refuge for more than a million Gazans.

"It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action," European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said.

Similar calls came from Beijing, Moscow and Arab states in the region.

Iran told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that Israel "must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests" as the UN secretary-general warned that the Middle East was in a "moment of maximum peril".

Israel's assault on Gaza began after Hamas Islamists attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military offensive has killed 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gazan health ministry.

Also on Friday, French police arrested a man who had threatened to blow himself up at Iran's consulate in Paris, but on being searched was found not to be carrying any explosives.

Reuters/ABC