It seems that Netanyahu’s statement the day before and the actual incidents at two sites in Iran have set the stage for a version of an Israeli attack on Iran
On January 28, around 10:00 p.m. Moscow time an attack on the Iranian Defense Ministry’s facility in the city of Isfahan took place. The Iranian news agency IRNA reported that a powerful explosion rocked the city.
After a while, in anonymous Telegram channels information began to appear about a massive attack on military facilities in Iran, among them: the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the IRGC Special Forces base “Quds”, the center for the production of ammunition and UAVs, an oil refinery, a weapons production plant, military bases in Hamadan and Karege.
Iran International, an opposition Iranian news agency, noted that “reports of explosions and smoke in the northwest of the capital Tehran appeared on Iranian social networks. These reports have not been verified.”
“A group of protesters in the southwestern province of Khuzestan reported an explosion in Dezful on social media. Another report said there were air-raid sirens at the Hamadan airbase in Nozheh, but it remained unconfirmed, as well as reports from Tehran and other locations,” Iran International also pointed out.
This information spread in the Russian media: in particular, it was published by RBK.
Also with reference to the Saudi TV channel Al Arabiya it was reported that allegedly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of a military operation against the military industry of Iran. Several electronic media such as Gazeta.ru and News.ru also published this information.
However, Al Arabiya TV itself did not report such information on its website, citing only the official data of the Iranian Defense Ministry on the UAV attack on the plant in Isfahan.
Official Iranian and Arab media have not confirmed the version of the massive attack on Iranian military facilities. The version about threats of a special operation against Iran by Israel has not been confirmed either.
What really happened?
On the evening of January 28, 2023, at about 11:30 p.m. (10:00 p.m. Moscow time) one of the Defense Ministry’s production facilities was attacked by a UAV. One of the attacking drones was shot down by the air defense system, and the other two hit defensive traps and exploded.
An official media report stated that “the failed attack did not cause any human casualties and caused minor damage to the roof of the workshop, the operation of the complex was not disrupted.”
The sound of the explosion heard by residents of Iran’s Isfahan Province was caused by the air defense system, the deputy head of Isfahan Province for Political and Security Affairs said.
The governor of Isfahan said, “There was an explosion in one of the military centers, which fortunately did not result in casualties. Causes and factors as well as the extent of the damage are being investigated.”
Isfahan is one of the most important Iranian cities in terms of military industry, as it is home to many military factories as well as the famous Natanz facility, which is one of Iran’s most important nuclear facilities.
In addition to the drone attack that occurred, which later turned out to not combat drones, but ordinary quadcopters, there was indeed an incident at a chemical plant in Iran.
During the night, a fire broke out at a motor oil plant in Azarshahr (Iranian province of East Azerbaijan). The Director General of the East Azerbaijan Province Crisis Management Department said that 25 fire trucks arrived at the scene of the fire. One firefighter was injured as a result of the incident. The cause of the accident is being clarified.
What does this have to do with Israel?
On January 27, there was a terrorist attack at a synagogue in Jerusalem, killing seven people and injuring more than 10. It was one of the most powerful terrorist attacks in the country since 2011, and it provoked many reactions both in Israel and abroad.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to take revenge on those who carried out the attack. Since the Palestinian group Hamas officially claimed responsibility for the attack, it is likely that the Palestinians, not Iran, are the target of revenge.
Netanyahu said that the response to the attacks in Jerusalem would be “powerful, swift and precise.” He also added that Israel is not seeking to escalate the conflict, but is prepared “for any scenario.”
Earthquake
The day before there was also an earthquake in Iran, which some Telegram channels put into an apocalyptic picture of what was happening in Iran and called underground explosions orchestrated by the enemy.
The 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the city of Khoy in Iran’s West Azerbaijan Province on the evening of January 28. According to the latest data, three persons were killed and more than 800 injured due to the earthquake.
Versions
It seems that Netanyahu’s statement the day before and the actual incidents at two sites in Iran have set the stage for a version of an Israeli attack on Iran.
The version with the start of a special Israeli military operation against Iran seems extremely unlikely. The Israeli Defense Ministry has stated, and US experts have also confirmed, that it is very difficult to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. In addition, the situation between Israel and Palestine has worsened again, so the timing of the strikes does not seem to have been the most appropriate. There were no obvious reasons for Israel to attack Iran, either. Well, the information war between Iran and Israel has been going on for a long time.
Time will tell if this episode was also an element of the information war against Russia in order to create a feeling of unreliability of the new ally in the war with the West or if it was just an unfortunate set of circumstances.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
