An explosion at an Iranian military facility on Saturday night, which authorities say was the result of a drone strike, comes just days after the United States and Israel held joint military exercises in the region.
Iranian authorities announced Saturday that bomb-carrying drones attacked a “workshop” operating for the Iranian Defense Ministry in the central city of Isfahan, causing some damage. The officials did not disclose what the factory produces and said the attack was “unsuccessful.”
“One of (the drones) was hit by the… air defense and the other two got caught in defense traps and exploded. Fortunately, this failed attack did not cause any loss of life and caused minor damage to the roof of the workshop. Iranian defense officials said in a statement, according to the state news agency IRNA.
Details about the Isfahan attack, which occurred around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, remain sparse and the Iranian Defense Ministry did not disclose who it suspects carried it out. It comes after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a massive military exercise in Israel earlier this week.
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CENTCOM and the Israel Defense Forces are conducting the “Juniper Oak Exercise” in Israel.
(IDF Spokespersons Unit)
A Defense Ministry statement said three drones were launched at the facility, two of them successfully shot down and a third struck the building, causing “minor damage” to its roof and injuring no one, the ministry said. Isfahan is located 215 miles south of Tehran.
There have been reports of additional drone strikes, including a comment Iuliia Mendel, former spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Mehrdad Khalili, the IRNA director in Lebanon, denied these reports.
“There is no truth in the occurrence of explosions in different areas of Iranian territory,” he wrote in a translated tweet. “The only incident is the foiling of a drone attack on a Ministry of Defense factory.”
No person, country or entity has claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack.
Just days earlier, on Wednesday, officials announced joint US-Israel exercises, said to be the largest bilateral show of force between the two nations to date.
“Juniper Oak is a combined, cross-domain joint exercise that enhances our interoperability on land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace with our partners, enhances our ability to respond to contingencies, and underscores our commitment to the Middle East.” General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement.
The US Central Command and the IDF are participating in a joint military exercise known as “Exercise Juniper Oak,” which is taking place in Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
(IDF Spokespersons Unit)
The statement added: “These types of exercises, which CENTCOM routinely conducts with our partners, develop interoperability between military forces, increase military capabilities, and are important for the security and stability of the region. The lessons learned during these exercises are exportable to our partners throughout the region”.
The Center for Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonprofit research institute, said the “scope, complexity and size” are meant to send a message.
“The Biden administration wants Tehran to understand that the United States has both the military wherewithal and the political will to support Israel, secure American interests in the region, and carry out successful large-scale attacks if necessary,” said Ryan Brobst, an FDD. . research analyst.
The Brobst report added: “The scope, complexity and size of this exercise should reassure the Israelis, the Americans and their regional partners, while making adversaries think twice before initiating an aggression.”
CENTCOM said the United States has contributed around 6,400 troops, with approximately 450-500 US service members training at up to 10 bases in Israel. However, most of the personnel are operating at sea on six US ships, including the USS George HW Bush carrier strike group.
THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL LAUNCH LARGE-SCALE MILITARY EXERCISES IN A REGIONAL SHOW OF FORCE
The Israelis have deployed more than 1,000 soldiers and officers, six ships, and a significant number of aircraft, including F-35I, F-16, F-15, G550 reconnaissance planes, B707 refueling planes, UAVs, and helicopters.
The IDF and CENTCOM are in the middle of a joint military drill in Israel this week.
(IDF Spokespersons Unit)
Iran and its arch-enemy Israel have waged a shadow war after negotiations between the two countries, with the United States failing to reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Relations between Iran and Ukraine are also intensifying as Iran is reportedly supplying drones to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian officials have alleged.
And tensions remain high with Iran’s northern neighbor, Azerbaijan, after a gunman attacked that country’s embassy in Tehran, killing its security chief and wounding two others.
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Azerbaijan maintains close ties with Israel, further frustrating Iran.
On Saturday night, in addition to the drone attack, an earthquake left three dead and 816 injured, the governor of West Azarbaijan announced.
Israel is suspected of launching attacks against Iran, including an April 2021 assault on its underground Natanz nuclear facility that damaged its centrifuges.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views ongoing drills with the US.
(Office of the Prime Minister of Israel)
In 2020, Iran also blamed Israel for a sophisticated attack that killed its top military nuclear scientist. Israeli officials rarely acknowledge military operations and deny any official involvement.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long considered Iran to be the biggest threat facing his nation.
Andrew Mark Miller and Yonat Friling of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
