Culprit behind drone strike on Iran identified – media
The recent drone attack on an Iranian military facility was likely orchestrated by Israel, Al Jazeera reported on Monday, citing an Iranian source. So far, Tehran has stopped short of officially assigning blame.
An unnamed Iranian official quoted by the outlet, said the raid on a Defense Ministry complex in the central city of Isfahan was launched from inside the country and close to the site. He also claimed that initial data suggests that Israel was involved in the attack.
The official echoed an earlier statement by the Iranian Defense Ministry, describing the attack as unsuccessful, and claiming that Israeli efforts to portray it in a different light are “just propaganda to obscure the failure.”
On Sunday, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing Western sources, that the raid was “a tremendous success,” with the destruction being much more serious than Tehran’s authorities are willing to acknowledge. However, the Iranian Defense Ministry said the raid “did not cause any loss of life” and inflicted only “minor damage” to the roof of the military workshop.
Al Jazeera’s Iranian source said Israel’s alleged actions will not go unanswered. He added that Washington has distanced itself from the raid and will not pressure Tehran into changing its policies.
“There are those who play with fire and we have no doubt that they will be the first to burn if they decide to start a regional war,” the source told the outlet.
His comments echo an earlier Wall Street Journal report claiming that Israel was behind the attack. Al-Arabiya TV said that the US Air Force and “one more country” were involved in the raid, which allegedly targeted an Iranian ballistic missile depot. While the Pentagon denied any involvement, Israel refrained from commenting on the matter.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel over Tehran’s nuclear program. While Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that Iran is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, Tehran has dismissed the allegations, arguing that its nuclear program serves only peaceful purposes.
