AP: Israel likely struck Iran weapons plant in Shahrud

US officials: Israel likely targeted Iranian factory producing advanced ballistic missiles

Israel likely carried out an airstrike on a weapons plant in the Iranian city of Shahrud, US officials said on Sunday, in an attack that targeted a facility producing advanced ballistic missiles.

The strike, which occurred on Saturday night, is believed to be the first known Israeli strike on a target inside Iran since President Joe Biden took office in January, and comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries over Iran's nuclear program and regional activities.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the target of the strike was a factory in Shahrud that was producing advanced ballistic missiles for Iran's arsenal.

Iran denies strike, says targeted site was a "civilian workshop"

Iran has denied that the Shahrud site was a weapons plant, claiming instead that it was a "civilian workshop."

In a statement on Sunday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that the strike was a "criminal act" and that Iran would "respond appropriately to any violation of its territory."

US officials: Strike was part of ongoing campaign to counter Iran's missile program

US officials said the strike was part of an ongoing campaign to counter Iran's missile program, which the US believes poses a threat to its allies in the region.

The officials said the strike was carried out by Israeli aircraft that flew over Iraqi airspace before striking the target in Shahrud.

Analysts: Strike likely to further escalate tensions between Israel and Iran

Analysts say the strike is likely to further escalate tensions between Israel and Iran, which have been at odds for decades over Iran's nuclear program and its support for militant groups in the region.

The strike also comes at a time of heightened tensions between the US and Iran, as the Biden administration seeks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which was abandoned by the Trump administration in 2018.

Background: Israel's history of strikes on Iran

Israel has a history of carrying out strikes on targets inside Iran, including airstrikes on suspected nuclear facilities and weapons depots.

In 2018, Israel was widely believed to have carried out airstrikes on an Iranian airbase in Syria, where Iranian forces were believed to be stationed.

Israel has never officially acknowledged carrying out any of these strikes, but it has long maintained a policy of "ambiguity" towards its military operations in Iran.