Iranian authorities reported attacks by drones carrying bombs on its defence facility in the central city of Isfahan overnight around 11:30 pm, causing damage at the plant. This attack comes at a time when Iran finds itself in increasing regional and international tensions.
The drone attacks were carried out, as the Islamic republic was struck by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake, killing two people and a refinery fire accident broke out separately in the northwest part of the country.
The details of the Isfahan attack, remain quite meagre. The Defence Ministry of Iran in its statement revealed three drones were launched at the facility, at around 11:30 pm, and two of them were shot down successfully. A third drone, however, withstood and struck the building causing “slight damage” to its roof and zero human casualties.
As of now, none of the Iranian officials has commented on the attack. The Iranian Ministry of Defence has provided no information on its suspicion regarding the drone attacks. Mohammad Reza Jannesar, an official told state television, “ the damages along with the causes and elements behind this explosion, are being investigated and will be announced a while later.”
Isfahan facility: a mere workshop
Isfahan city lies around 350 kilometres (215 miles) south of the capital city of Tehran. It shelters a large airbase constructed for its fleet of American – manufactured F-14 fighter jets and Iran’s Nuclear Fuel Research and Production Centre.
A video aired by Iran’s Press TV, showed the minute the drone struck along the busy Imam Khomeini Expressway, which heads northwest out of Isfahan, and is also one of the roads which lead to the holy city of Qom and Iran’s capital, Tehran. The area of the strike is said to be corresponding to a site on Minoo Street in the northwest of Isfahan that is close to a shopping centre.
The Iranian Ministry of Defence termed the targetted site a “workshop,” obscuring its activities. On the contrary, some Twitter users have alleged the Isfahan factory is manufacturing warheads for the Shahid Kamikaze drones that are reportedly being supplied to Russia against Ukraine.
In 2021, Tehran proclaimed that it had begun producing 60% enriched uranium at the Natanz site in Isfahan province.
Lately, Iran’s defence and nuclear sites appear to be around commercial sites and residential areas, due to an outward urban sprawl. These locations, however, remain opaque about their activities and only bear a sign of the logo of either the Defence ministry or the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Strings of Iranian tensions
Tehran is familiar with such drone attacks. It has had a fair share of setbacks to its defence and nuclear facilities. Last year, an unidentified attack took place at the Parchin military and weapons development base, lying east of Tehran. It caused 2 human casualties and was termed an accident by the ministry.
The recent drone attacks also serve as a reminder of a series of suspected Israeli attacks on Iran. In 2021, Israel was accused of assault on the underground Natanz nuclear facility that damaged its centrifuges. In 2020, Iran held Israel responsible for the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the country’s senior military nuclear scientist. However, Israel had neither confirmed nor denied these allegations.
These two middle east states are at odds, over Iran’s nuclear programme, which is also a cause of their shadow war. Israel claims Iran is developing nuclear weapons, an accusation the latter denies.
This week also saw the attack on Azerbaijan’s embassy in Iran, wherein the head of security was killed and two guards were injured. The tensions persist to be high between Azerbaijan and Iran as fresh series of fights broke out over the Nagorno – Karabakh region. Iran’s 44-kilometre border with Armenia is at risk if Azerbaijan seizes new territory through combat.
The drone attacks, accompanied by an earthquake and a fire at the Tabriz oil refinery in a span of a few hours, do nothing but aggravate the challenges of Iran. It is currently witnessing nationwide protests since the death of Mahsa Amini, who suffered at the hands of the country’s morality police. Its economy reeled as the rial currency devalued to new lows against the U.S. dollar.
