IRANIAN DEFENSE FACILITY TARGETED IN SUICIDE DRONE ATTACK BELIEVED TO BE BE CONDUCTED BY ISRAEL
1/29/2023
[MENA]: Last night it was confirmed that multiple drones entered Iranian airspace to conduct attacks on key Iranian defense facilities in the city of Isfahan. Iranian officials claim that the nation’s air defenses were able to intercept some of the drones, however, a few were able to make it through and carry out the attack. While Iranian officials have claimed there was only one explosion as a result of the drone strikes, eyewitnesses and video footage intercepted on social media indicated that there were multiple successful strikes. Local media within Iran reported minimal damage and no casualties or injuries from the explosions. Shortly after the attack, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated, “This cowardly act was carried out as part of the efforts made by enemies of Iran in recent months to make the Islamic Republic insecure,” adding, “Such measures cannot affect the will and intention of our specialists for peaceful nuclear developments.”
While the Iranian foreign minister kept his statement ambiguous about blaming a specific party for their responsibility behind the attack, the IRGC has begun shifting blame to Israel. Additionally, Middle Eastern media sources have stated that while the attack may have been committed by Israel, there is a firm belief that the US directed the attack. Many reporters have pointed to the fact that it may be a retaliatory attack for the January 20 drone attack on the US garrison in southeastern Syria, however, others speculate that the US directed the attack as a warning signal to Iran regarding their alleged plan to export ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine conflict.
It is believed that many are drawing these conclusions because of the results of the recent talks between the US and Israel. During a meeting between the two nations, the US indicated it would be taking a more aggressive stance toward Iran as the Biden administration has signaled that they believe that a nuclear peace deal could not be reached. Additionally, Iran’s violent crackdown on protests within its nation and support of Russia in Ukraine have been other major factors in the US’ increasingly assertive strategy toward Iran.
[FIGURE 1]: Map of activity in Iran on 1/28/2023
[FIGURE 2]: SAT imagery of where the attack took place