A loud explosion struck a military industry factory near the central Iranian city of Isfahan overnight in what Tehran said on Sunday was a drone strike by unidentified attackers.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which came amid tension with the West over Tehran’s nuclear activity and supply of arms for Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as months of antigovernmental demonstrations at home.
Iran’s foreign minister said the “cowardly” attack was aimed at creating “insecurity” in Iran. The Defence Ministry said the explosion caused only minor damage and no casualties. The extent of the damage could not be independently confirmed.
“Such actions will not impact our experts’ determination to progress in our peaceful nuclear work,” Hossein Amirabdollahian told reporters in televised remarks.
Iranian media video showed a flash of light at the plant, which the official news agency IRNA described as an ammunition factory. Footage also showed emergency vehicles and fire trucks outside the complex.
“Around 23:30 on Saturday night, an unsuccessful attack was carried out using Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) on one of the ministry’s workshop sites,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement carried by state TV.
It said one drone was shot down “and the other two were caught in defence traps and blew up. It caused only minor damage to the roof of a workshop building. There were no casualties.”
The attack “has not affected our installations and mission … and such blind measures will not have an impact on the continuation of the country’s progress,” the statement said.
Separately, IRNA reported early on Sunday a massive fire at a motor oil factory in an industrial zone near the northwestern city of Tabriz. It gave no information about the cause of that blaze.
