Israel launches drone strike on Iranian facility: Report
Mike Brest
Video Embed
Israel was behind a recent drone attack on an Iranian military facility in the city of Isfahan on Saturday, according to a new report.
Iran acknowledged the strike occurred, though it said it resulted in little damage, calling the operation “unsuccessful” on Sunday. The military facility’s purpose is unclear, as is whether or not damage occurred, though the area is known to be a major center of Iran’s missile production, research, and development.
RUSSIA’S WAR TAKING A TOLL ON UKRAINIAN CHILDREN
“There was an unsuccessful attack by small drones against a defense ministry industrial complex and fortunately with predictions and air defense arrangements already in place, one of them (struck),” news agency IRNA tweeted, citing the country’s defense ministry. “The air defense system of the complex was able to destroy two other drones. Fortunately, this unsuccessful attack killed no one and minor damage was sustained to the roof of the complex.”
IRNA reported that the facility was an ammunition manufacturing plant and that Iran’s surface-to-air defense system was able to shoot down the attacking drones.
The New York Times reported on Israel’s involvement.
The deputy head of security for Isfahan governorate, Mohammad Reza Jan-Nesari, earlier told the semiofficial Fars News Agency, “An explosion has occurred in one of the military centers affiliated to the Ministry of Defense.”
Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, said at a news conference on Sunday that “a cowardly drone attack on a military site in central Iran will not impede Iran’s progress on its peaceful nuclear program.”
U.S. officials notified their Iranian counterparts that they were not responsible for the strike, while an anonymous U.S. source confirmed to the New York Times that it was Israel.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Tehran provided hundreds of kamikaze drones to Russia for the war in Ukraine over the summer and into the fall, which proved to be extremely lethal as Russian forces used them to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to force millions of civilians to withstand the brutal winter conditions often without heat, electricity, or running water. Since then, U.S. officials have warned that Tehran might provide missiles to Russia while stressing that this growing relationship has major detrimental implications.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel, and CIA Director William Burns traveled to Israel last week to meet with his counterparts.