In a report by the Daily Caller, an Iranian munitions factory was the target of a drone strike instigated by Israel on Sunday. Escalating tensions between the two countries prompted the strike. According to Iranian officials, their air defenses were able to strike down another drone. Still, two others got past the defenses and were able to do minor damage to the munitions factory. The factory is in the city of Isfahan and is located next to a site belonging to the Iran Space Research Center. The State Department sanctioned the site due to its contributions to Iran’s ballistic missile program. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quick to respond forcefully, saying, “Such actions cannot impact the determination and intent of our experts for peaceful nuclear progress.” [tweet_embed]February 01, 2023[/tweet_embed] The strike coincides with negotiations between American officials and Iran’s newly elected administration. Reuters reports Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak on Monday with a focus on reducing tensions with the Palestinian population. CIA Director William Burns was in Israel on Thursday to also discuss issues. Burns’ unannounced trip was on the same day Israeli forces killed seven Palestinian gunmen and two civilians during a raid. [tweet_embed]February 01, 2023[/tweet_embed] According to the Associated Press, a Palestinian gunman killed at least seven Israeli civilians in Jerusalem on Friday night outside a synagogue. Palestinians publicly celebrated the attack. Netanyahu announced on Saturday that there would be retaliatory measures. Last week, Israel and the U.S. carried out joint military exercises, the largest so far, to send a warning to Iran and any other adversaries, according to The Wall Street Journal. Israel’s new military chief of staff, General Herzi Halevi, said the exercises “bring a very clear message to Iran: if Iran makes mistakes, offense capabilities are getting ready.”