Iran’s defense ministry has claimed that it successfully repelled a drone attack on one of its military facilities located in the city of Isfahan. The facility reportedly suffered minor damage, but this has not been independently confirmed. According to The Wall Street Journal and New York Times, the attack was carried out by Israel, citing unnamed US officials. Israel has not officially commented on the matter. The purpose of the targeted facility is not clear, however, reports suggest it could have been connected to missile production.
The defense ministry stated that three drones were involved in the attack that took place on Saturday night. One of the drones was shot down by air defense systems, while the other two were caught by “defense traps,” causing minimal damage to a building. There were no reported casualties. Local authorities referred to the facility as a “workshop,” but Iran’s official news agency Irna referred to it as an “ammunition manufacturing plant.”
Isfahan province is home to a large air base, a missile production complex, and multiple nuclear sites. Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, stated that the US military played no role in the strikes but declined to make further comments. According to The Wall Street Journal, the attack was carried out by Israel, while The New York Times claimed it was the work of the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency.
If the claims are true, this would mark the first such attack on a facility in Iran under the current Israeli government, which came to power under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December. Israel has previously acknowledged carrying out numerous strikes on Iranian targets in Syria with the aim of preventing the transfer of weapons from Iran to militants in Lebanon.
Iran and Israel are long-standing adversaries, with Iran not recognizing Israel’s right to exist. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, referred to the recent attack as a “cowardly” attempt to destabilize the country. The attack occurred amid rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and its supply of arms to Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Additionally, the country has been experiencing internal turmoil in recent months following the death of a woman who was detained for violating Iran’s strict dress code.
In a separate incident on Saturday, a fire broke out at an oil facility near the northwestern city of Tabriz, but the cause of the fire has not been disclosed. In recent years, Iran has experienced several explosions, fires, and cyber attacks on its military, nuclear, and industrial facilities.
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