Official Iranian sources refuse to attribute attack to Israel, minimize impact

• Published date: 19 April 2024
• Author: OHAD MERLIN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Analysts noted a general trend within formal circles in the Islamic Republic attempting to minimize the attack and its implications, broadcasting livestreams of downtown Esfahan as if to show that nothing had happened, and at times even refusing to name Israel as the potential aggressor. In this context, the IRGC's Telegram channel quoted National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's tweet hinting at the attack, which included only one slang word, 'dardale,' meaning weak, poor, or disappointing. Here, too, the IRGC referred to 'the events of today morning,' without mentioning Israel or an attack

Kioumars Heydari, Commander of the Islamic Republic's Army's Ground Forces, announced today that the IR's aerial defense systems managed to intercept an attack launched by "very small drones" inside Esfahan earlier this morning, also not referring to outside sources.

Other reports attributed these blasts to Iran's air defenses intercepting three drones. Notably, they too refrained from labeling the incident as an Israeli attack, instead describing it as infiltration, thereby possibly circumventing the immediate need for retaliation. A spokesperson for Iran, speaking to Reuters, indicated that there were currently no plans to retaliate against Israel following this 'event', adding that no external assault has been identified and that the prevailing speculation suggests infiltration rather than a direct attack.

The online arena: between mockery and hope

In the virtual arena, conflicting narratives arose for the attack.

Media outlets and mouthpieces affiliated with the regime mocked what they deemed the ecstasy of anti-regime and Western media, accusing them of exaggerating reports of large-scale attacks for internal purposes, while the real repercussions of the attack were practically non-existent.

In Al-Mayadeen, a mouthpiece accused of being a Hezbollah proxy loyal to Iran, correspondent in the Islamic Republic Malik Abeda also downplayed the attack and accused Western and Israeli media of exaggerating reports to "deceive general opinion and influence the Iranian home front" as well as "portray as if Israel had retaliated to the Iranian operation."

Many pro-regime users resorted to mocking the alleged quadcopter strike. One pro-Islamic republic user mocked the Israeli air force posting a picture of a store-bought drone and adding that these truly are the renown Israel's F35 fighters; while a pro-Islamic Republic news outlet showed pictures of a cruise missile and a...