The United States Air Force and “one more country” were behind the recent drone attack on a military industrial complex in Iran’s Isfahan, Al-Arabiya reported on January 29.
The Saudi-owned news channel said, citing American sources, that the attack, which took place late on January 28, targeted a depot of ballistic missiles.
The attack on the missile depot was meant “to demonstrate to Iran and Russia” the U.S.’ readiness to combat the construction of plants “on production and export of [ballistic] weapons,” the channel said citing US sources.
The Iranian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the drone attack on Isfahan complex, which is located some 440 kilometers to the south of Tehran, was foiled by air defenses and other protective measures. The ministry noted that the attack did not cause any loss of life and only led to minor damage. The complex, it added, continues its ordinary operations.
The New York Times reported that suicide quadcopter drones were used in the attack. The newspaper said that the drones were launched from within Iran.
Last year, Israel was reportedly behind two similar attacks which targeted Mahidasht Air Base in Iran’s Kermanshah and the Parchin military complex near Tehran.
Iranian news sources affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have already blamed Tel Aviv for the attack on the Isfahan site. However, it is possible that the perpetrator may have been the United States. Washington may have ordered the attack in response to the January 20 drone attack on the US garrison in al-Tanf, southeastern Syria. Other sources specilate that it was a signal to warn Tehran against an alleged plan to supply Russia with ballistic missiles for the use in the military operation against the Kiev regime.