Tehran downplays yesterday's strike on Iran, denying link to Israel
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (photo: instagram.com/Amirabdollahianhossein)
Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, downplays the scale and consequences of the airstrike on the country's territory, which occurred on the night of April 19, and states that Tehran is investigating the incident, according to NBC News and Reuters.
According to the official, the drones took off from Iranian territory and flew several hundred meters before being shot down.
"What happened last night was not a strike. They were more like toys that our children play with – not drones," he said in an interview with NBC News in New York, where he was attending a meeting of the UN Security Council.
In addition, the head of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that Tehran has not proven a connection between them (drones) and Israel, and an investigation into this matter is ongoing.
Amirabdollahian asserts that press reports about this airstrike were inaccurate, according to Tehran's information.
The minister also stated that Iran does not plan to respond unless Israel carries out a serious attack.
"As long as there is no new adventurism by Israel against our interests, then we are not going to have any new reactions," Amirabdollahian said.
However, the head of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that if Israel does attack Iran, Tehran's response will be swift and harsh.
"If Israel takes a decisive action against my country and this is proven to us, our response will be immediate and to the maximum and will cause them to regret it," the Iranian official assured.
What preceded this
Yesterday, April 19, Iranian media and officials reported several explosions, which they said were the result of an air defense strike on three drones over Isfahan in the central region of the country on Friday morning. The Iranian side called the incident an attack by saboteurs, not Israel, avoiding the need to respond to a anticipated attack.
Meanwhile, the American publication ABC News reported that Israel used 3 missiles during the strike on Iran on April 19, targeting an air defense radar system.
Israel has not reported on the incident. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US did not participate in any offensive operations, and the White House did not comment on the incident in Iran.
Later, Israeli media published satellite images showing damage to a radar system near Isfahan airport in Iran. Such damage, it was reported, appeared after the explosions in the area on April 19.
Iran's attack on Israel
This incident occurred after Iran's recent massive strike on Israel, using over three hundred kamikaze drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles. The IDF stated that about 99% of the aerial targets were intercepted by air defense systems.
Details about the outcomes of Iran's attack on Israel on the night of April 14 can be read in the article by RBC-Ukraine.
