Iran acknowledged a drone strike targeted one of its military sites in the central city of Isfahan over the weekend, but did not accuse any foreign or opposition groups of orchestrating it. build the attack.
Iran’s Defense Ministry said a drone carrying a small bomb hit the roof of a building in the facility on Saturday night, while two other drones were intercepted and destroyed. There were no casualties, it added, and no disruption was caused other than some “minor damage”.
A mobile phone video broadcast on Iranian state television shows the moment of the explosion: a flash of light followed by a loud bang. The Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, posted another video shortly afterwards showing fire trucks approaching the site.
Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, said the similar facility in Isfahan had previously “experienced a similar thing” but did not say when. It added that drones used over the weekend were advanced.
The strike comes at a time of growing international and domestic pressure on the Islamic republic on several fronts.
Western governments have criticized Iran for supplying Russia with drones that are being used in the war against Ukraine.
Similar governments, as well as Israel, have also expressed concern about Iran’s development of a nuclear program, vowing not to allow Tehran to build a nuclear weapon.
The Islamic republic has also been criticized for its repression anti-regime demonstrations, Mainly led by women, following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old man died in police custody after being detained for not wearing a headscarf properly.
Many believe that Israel has masterminded a series of activities inside Iran over the past decade aimed at undermining the country’s government. nuclear program. These covert operations include assassinations of nuclear scientists and attacks on atomic sites, as well as smuggling of documents.
However, Iranian media and officials do not blame Israel for Saturday’s drone attack.
The commander of Iran’s ground forces, Kioumars Heydari, did not comment on the incident but said on Sunday that the country had made progress in developing various technologies in the defense industry.
“We are peeling the old skin in the field [production of] weapons, he told his forces.
