Israel accused of drone strike by Iran

February 16, 2023

The middle eastern archrivals, Iran and Israel, are once again at each other’s throats as Iran accuses Israel of the 29th January’s drone attack on its military site in the city of Isfahan. The strike occurred on Saturday night and resulted in a massive explosion and flames, although no causalities were reported.

Media reports coming out of Iran suggests that the main culprits involved in this attack have been arrested by Iran’s security forces. According to The Islamic Republic News Agency, “the involvement of mercenaries of the Zionist regime in that act has been proven.”

Iran’s ambassador to United Nations immediately recorded country’s protest against the attack through a letter to UN General Secretary in which he mentioned that initial investigation suggests that Israel is the perpetrator of the attack on the Iranian soil. He also made it clear that, “Iran reserves its legitimate and inherent right to defend its national security and firmly respond to any threat or wrongdoing of the Zionist regime wherever and whenever it deems necessary”.

Iran suffers drone strike days after US and Israel launched joint military drill in the region https://t.co/7M45SVjwnf

— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 29, 2023

Ever since the US pulled out of its nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, the country has been scaling up its nuclear program. Israel, the West, and Iran’s neighbors in the Arab Gulf are all becoming increasingly concerned about Iranian nuclear activity and its supply of long-range drones to Russia for the Ukraine war.

Israel has made it abundantly clear that if negotiations and diplomatic efforts fail to stop Iran’s nuclear program it will attack Iranian targets. And this is the most recent episode in a protracted shadow conflict between both the countries.

Iran has accused Israel in recent years of carrying out airstrikes on Iranian military forces in Syria, launching sabotage attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, killing nuclear scientists, and using cyberattacks. However, it would mark the first known assault on an Iranian site during the tenure of the current Israeli government, which came into power in December under Benjamin Netanyahu.

The recent attack in Iran’s nuclear center Isfahan is a great concern for the Iranian government which is not only facing hostile neighbors but is also tackling with the internal turmoil which started as a result of the mysterious death of a woman, Mahsa Amini, who was held in custody for not following the Islamic dress code.