US officials suspect Israel’s involvement in drone attack on Iranian 'workshop': What we know so far

Bomb-carrying drones hit an Iranian defence factory in the central city of Isfahan overnight on Sunday (January 29), said the country’s officials who have since condemned the attack and called it “cowardly”. So far, no government or group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, media reports citing United States officials have indicated that they suspect Israel’s involvement in the incident.

What happened?

The Iranian government has claimed that the facility sustained “minor damages” and there were no casualties, however, the extent of the damage caused cannot be independently verified, while details remain scarce. The attack is said to have occurred around 11:30 pm, Saturday, as per authorities in Tehran. The footage of the incident released by the Iranian state media shows a flash in the sky and the arrival of emergency vehicles at the scene.

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What has Iran said about the attack?

The Iranian defence ministry has claimed that they foiled an “unsuccessful attack” which took place late Saturday and involved three drones and there were no casualties. The ministry said, one of the drones was destroyed while the other two were caught using “defence traps and blew up”. It added, “It caused only minor damage to the roof of a workshop building”, as per a report by Iranian state TV.

ALSO READ |Iran government condemns drone attack on defence ammunition plant, calls it ‘cowardly’

The ministry also said that the attack was conducted using “micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs)”. However, the state-run IRNA news agency later described the drones as “quadcopters equipped with bomblets,” which gets its name from the four rotors and are typically operated from short ranges by remote control.

Additionally, a report by Reuters citing a military official in the region said given the location of the strike as well as the size of the drone it is likely that it was staged from within Iranian borders. Subsequently, in a press conference, the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian with his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who is visiting Tehran called the attack “cowardly” and aimed at creating “insecurity” in the country.

While the Iranian defence ministry has not commented on who might have carried out the attack, a report by the state-run media quoting comments by a lawmaker, Hossein Mirzaie, said there was a “strong speculation” Israel was behind it. The Isfahan’s factory is 350 km south of the capital Tehran while the ministry has described the site as a “workshop” without giving any details.

ALSO WATCH |Iran: Drone attack on military site thwarted

However, reports suggest that it comprises a large air base built for its fleet of US-made F-14 fighter jets and is also home to the country’s nuclear fuel research and production centre. During the aforementioned press conference when asked if the incident would affect the country’s nuclear programme, the foreign minister said, “Such moves can’t impact our nuclear scientists’ will and intentions to achieve peaceful nuclear energy,” as per Al Jazeera.

In a separate incident, on early Sunday, the IRNA reported that a fire broke out at a motor oil factory near the industrial zone in the northwestern city of Tabriz which the officials later said was caused by an oil leak and no further details were given.

What the US officials have allegedly said

Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said no US military forces played a role in the strikes in Iran and declined to comment further, reported Reuters. However, a US official speaking on the condition of anonymity to the news agency said it appears that Israel is involved. Additionally, first reported by the Wall Street Journal citing multiple anonymous sources from officials in Washington also reported that Tel Aviv might have been involved in Saturday’s attack.

Why does this matter?

If the reports are confirmed this will be the first attack carried out under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since he returned to office in December between the two long-time foes. Furthermore, Tehran has previously accused Israel of planning attacks using agents inside Iranian territory. Last year Iran claims that they arrested a sabotage team of Kurdish militants which had allegedly been working with Israel to blow up a “sensitive” defence industry centre in Isfahan.

ALSO WATCH |Iran admits sending drones to Moscow before Russia-Ukraine War started

In 2020, Iran also accused Israel of conducting a sophisticated attack which killed Tehran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. However, Saturday’s attack in Isfahan comes as the region is witnessing a rise in tensions over Iran's nuclear programme as well as its alleged supply of arms to Russia amid its conflict with Ukraine.

Kyiv has accused Iran of supplying hundreds of drones to Moscow which have reportedly been used to target Ukrainian cities but not on the frontlines, reported Reuters citing a senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky linked to the incident. “Explosive night in Iran…Did warn you,” said Mykhailo Podolyak on Twitter following the attack in Iran. In this context, while Tehran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia it has maintained that they were sent before the invasion while Moscow has denied the use of Iranian drones in Ukraine while reports have suggested otherwise.

(With inputs from agencies)

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