MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. During its most recent talks with Israeli colleagues, Russia conveyed to them that Iran was against any further escalation in the Middle East, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday in an interview with three of the country’s radio stations.

"There were telephone conversations between the authorities of Russia and Iran as well as between our and Israeli representatives. We have been very clear during these conversations by telling the Israeli side that Iran was against any further escalation," Lavrov told the Sputnik, Govorit Moskva and Komsomolskaya Pravda radio broadcasters.

According to Lavrov, Tehran "cannot but respond to the bold violation of international law and the status of its diplomatic representation, but the country does not want escalation."

"Experts regarded Iran's real response in this way. It seems, and I hope that I am not mistaken, this was also another response to the Israeli strike delivered against Isfahan facilities," Lavrov told the Sputnik, Govorit Moskva and Komsomolskaya Pravda radio broadcasters.

On the evening of April 13, Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel in response to what it called "repeated crimes" from Tel Aviv, including the attack on the consular office of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus ascribed to Israel. Tehran’s state-run media outlets said that military facilities in Israel were targeted.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed it intercepted 99% of the nearly 350 projectiles launched at Israel with minor damage caused to Nevatim airbase. Following the military action, Tehran asserted that it was not planning any further action, while Jerusalem said that it was preparing to retaliate.

Earlier, ABC television reported, citing a US official, that Israel had launched a missile strike on a site on Iranian soil. CNN said, citing another US official, that the launch was Israel’s response to the Iranian attack on April 13.

Iranian media reported that drones were spotted in the skies over the Isfahan Province on Friday at around 3:00 a.m. local time (11:30 p.m. GMT on Thursday). According to Iranian media reports, three drones were downed by air defenses in the skies over the city of Isfahan. The Tasnim news agency, in turn, said that there were no missile attacks on Iranian territory.

Iranian Army General Siyavush Mihandoust said that the loud sounds heard in Isfahan were "due to the work of [Isfahan's] air defenses on suspicious objects" and that no destruction or "accidents" were recorded in the city. For their part, the informed sources of Press TV said that Iran's cities, including Isfahan, had not been attacked by any foreign state.

Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack. At the same time, the Washington Post reported, citing an unnamed Israeli official, that a warning strike had been launched against a site on Iranian territory. The purpose of the strike was to demonstrate Israel's ability to strike targets on Iranian territory, the source said.