Was Israel behind drone attack on Iran military installation?

Israel appears to have been behind a drone attack on a military factory in Iran, United States officials say.

Iran said on Sunday that it intercepted drones targeting the facility near the central city of Isfahan, adding there were no casualties.

The extent of damage could not be independently ascertained. Iranian state media released footage showing a flash in the sky and emergency vehicles at the scene.

Israel was behind the drone attack, The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed US officials and people familiar with the strike as saying. No response was immediately available from Israeli authorities.

One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters news agency that it did appear Israel was involved. Other American officials declined to comment beyond saying the US played no role.

Meanwhile in Ukraine, which accuses Iran of supplying hundreds of drones to Russia to attack targets in Ukrainian cities, a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy linked the incident directly to the war there.

‘Cowardly’

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian criticised the drone attack as “cowardly” and aimed at creating “insecurity” in the country. State TV broadcast comments by lawmaker Hossein Mirzaie saying there was “strong speculation” Israel was behind it.

Iran’s defence ministry did not comment on who carried out the attack. However, Iran has been a target of suspected Israeli strikes in the past amid a shadow war with its Middle East rival after its nuclear deal with world powers collapsed.

A ministry statement described three drones being launched at the facility, with two of them successfully shot down. A third apparently made it through to strike the building, causing “minor damage” to its roof and wounding no one.