Iran acknowledged targeting one of its military facilities in the central city of Isfahan over the weekend, but did not blame any foreign or opposition groups for the attack.
Iran’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday night that a drone carrying a small bomb hit the roof of a building at the facility, and two other drones were intercepted and destroyed. There were no injuries, he added, and there was no disruption other than some “minor damage.”
A cellphone video shown on Iranian state TV showed the moment of the explosion: a flash of light followed by a powerful explosion. The Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, released another video soon after, showing fire engines near the ground.
Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, said the same facility in Isfahan had “experienced something similar,” without saying when. He added that the drones used over the weekend were advanced.
The strike comes at a time when international and domestic pressure is mounting on the Islamic republic on several fronts.
Western governments have criticized Iran for supplying Russia with drones used in its war against Ukraine.
The same governments, as well as Israel, have expressed concern over the development of Iran’s nuclear program and pledged to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
The Islamic Republic has also been criticized for its crackdown on anti-regime protests led by mostly women in response to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Ami, who died in police custody after being arrested for wearing a headscarf incorrectly.
Israel is believed to have orchestrated a series of operations inside Iran over the past decade to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program. These covert operations include the assassination of nuclear scientists and attacks on nuclear facilities, as well as the smuggling of documents.
But Iranian media and officials did not blame Israel for Saturday’s drone attack.
The commander of the Iranian army’s ground forces, Kiumars Heydari, did not comment on the incident, but said on Sunday that the country’s defense industry had made progress in developing various technologies.
“We are shedding old skins in the field [production of] weapons,” he told his forces.
A US government spokesman would not comment on whether the attack came from Israel, but added that “no US military forces have conducted strikes or operations inside Iran.”
Additional reporting by Colby Smith in Washington
