Blinken urges calm as violence in Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalates
PBS NewsHourNov 26, 2022
Officials: Israel Launched Drone Attack on Iranian Facility
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Image copyright: Ronen Bergman, David E. Sanger and Farnaz Fassihi/The New York Times
The Facts
According to senior US intelligence officials, Israel's national intelligence agency, Mossad, was responsible for a drone attack on an Iranian military facility in the city of Isfahan on Saturday, which resulted in a large explosion and prompted an investigation by Iranian officials.
Iranian state media released footage showing a flash in the sky and emergency vehicles at the scene. The Islamic Republic said it had intercepted drones that struck a military industry target and claimed there were no casualties or serious damage, but this couldn't be independently verified.
The Spin
Pro-Iran narrative
This cowardly attack was nothing more than an attempt by Israel to stir up insecurity in Iran, all while distracting from its own internal problems and heightening violence with Palestine. Having faced numerous such attacks from Israel in the past, however, Iran was fortunately well prepared to defend itself.
Anti-Iran narrative
Though Iranian media want to pretend that the strike was a failure, a mix of Western intelligence sources and foreign sources have reported that it was a major success against the Islamic Republic. Iran will not be allowed to continually stir terror and violence throughout the region, and Israel will make sure that its influence is kept in check.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though Western media have focused on a failed drone attack against an Iranian defense industrial complex, the Israeli strike only hours later that destroyed an Iranian convoy on the Syrian-Iraqi border loaded with food and medicine was completely ignored. Limited strikes like these will not end the resistance to the US and Israel's imperial exploits in the Middle East.
