Drone Attack Hits Iran Defense Ministry Complex
At a time of high tensions over its nuclear program and Russia’s war in Ukraine, Iran said Sunday that a nighttime drone attack had targeted a defense ministry installation.
According to the government, one drone was destroyed by an anti-aircraft system, while two others exploded. The facility in the Isfahan region of central Iran sustained relatively minor damage, and there were no deaths.
Video of a fireball lighting up the night sky was extensively circulated on social media and released by Iranian official media. The video also showed people outdoors running and emergency vehicles scurrying toward the scène.
According to the ministry and state news agency IRNA, “an failed attack was carried out… on one of the workshop complexes of the ministry of defense.”
The statement read, “The attack, which took place on Saturday about 11:30 p.m. (2000 GMT), did not cause any disturbance to the running of the facility.”
The activities at the location were not described in detail by the authorities, however IRNA stated that “an ammunition manufacturing plant” was the target of the strike.
According to parliament member Mohammad-Hassan Assafari, the attack was intended to “destroy the defensive power” of Iran by “opponents and foes.”
The drone strike occurs during a critical period for Iran, which has been shaken by demonstrations following the death of Kurdish-Iranian lady Mahsa Amini in jail in September and as the standoff with major powers over its nuclear program continues.
Iran has also been accused by Western nations of providing Russia with armed drones for use in the conflict in Ukraine, a claim Tehran vigorously refutes.
Major Fire
Iran and Israel, which it holds responsible for a number of killings and sabotage attempts against Iran’s nuclear program, as well as Israel’s partner the United States, have been at war in the shadows for many years.
A significant fire started at a facility that produces motor oil in the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan a few hours prior to the attack in Isfahan, according to IRNA.
The agency released pictures of the massive fire that broke out in Shahid Salimi’s important industrial complex, which is connected to the Ministry of Industry.
According to the report, firefighters put out the fire, and authorities were looking into what started it.
The largest industrial area in northwest Iran is called Shahid Salimi, and it is situated in the city of Azarshahr. According to official media, it is home to 790 industries and other facilities that employ close to 28,000 people.
Nuclear Sites
In the vicinity of Isfahan, Iran is believed to have many nuclear research facilities, including a uranium conversion plant.
At the Natanz complex in the region of Isfahan, Tehran declared in April 2021 that it had begun producing uranium that had been 60 percent enriched.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, the name given to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, has been in limbo for months due to a variety of factors, including domestic unrest.
The deal provided Iran respite from sanctions in exchange for limitations on its nuclear program, ensuring that Tehran could not acquire or produce nuclear weapons, an end goal it has consistently denied pursuing.
But in 2018, the then-US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and reinstituted a harsh sanctions regime, which later led Iran to start breaking its own promises.
Iran’s nuclear program has been the target of sabotage, deliberate killings of scientists, and many cyberattack efforts.
Iran has accused Israel of engaging out a number of clandestine operations on its soil, including an alleged attack in November 2020 that is said to have employed a satellite-controlled machine gun to assassinate prominent nuclear expert Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
