Iran drone-attack suspects arrested – security officials
Iranian security agencies have arrested alleged culprits behind a recent drone attack on a military facility in the central city of Isfahan, the country’s authorities said on Friday. They claimed Israel was responsible for the incident, but have not provided any further details on the accused individuals.
In a joint statement, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an influential branch of Tehran’s armed forces, said “the main actors behind the failed attempt to sabotage one of the industrial centers of the Ministry of Defense… were identified and arrested.”
The attack was orchestrated by Israeli “mercenaries,” and their involvement in the act has been proven, the statement read. The agencies did not elaborate further, saying that, due to the ongoing investigation, “additional information will be published at the appropriate time.”
However, the statement warned that Israel’s actions would not go unanswered and the nation would receive a “lesson to remember.”
The attack on the military workshop in Isfahan took place on January 28 and involved three drones, one of which was shot down by air defenses, while the other two crashed before reaching their target, according to the Iranian Defense Ministry. At the time, it described the raid as “unsuccessful,” adding that it had only slightly damaged the facility’s roof.
In the aftermath of the attack, Iran blamed Israel for the incident, condemning it as an “attempted act of aggression.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu neither confirmed nor denied responsibility, explaining that he “never talks about specific operations.”
“Every time some explosion takes place in the Middle East, Israel is blamed or given responsibility – sometimes we are, sometimes we’re not,” he said in an interview with CNN.
Iran and Israel have been at odds for years over Tehran’s nuclear program. While Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that Iran is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, Tehran has dismissed the allegations, arguing that its nuclear program serves only peaceful purposes.
