A drone attack caused a “heavy explosion” at a Defense Ministry ammunition depot in central Iran, state TV said, resulting in a top diplomatic official warning about escalating tension in the Persian Gulf.
(Bloomberg) — A drone attack caused a “heavy explosion” at a Defense Ministry ammunition depot in central Iran, state TV said, resulting in a top diplomatic official warning about escalating tension in the Persian Gulf.
The site, located in Isfahan province, was targeted by suicide drones at 11 p.m. local time and one of them caused “minor damage” to the ceiling of a structure inside the facility, deputy provincial governor Mohammadreza Jan-Nesari said on state TV. One drone was shot down by air defense systems.
A video published by the state-run Nour News on Instagram showed a loud blast at a low level building near a busy road, causing a burst of flames and sparks. The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency also released footage showing police cars and a fire truck at the entrance.
It’s not known who was behind the strike. There’s been no official statement by Iran casting blame, although it has often pointed the finger at Israel for similar incidents in the past.
Responding to the event, Anwar Mohammed Gargash, the United Arab Emirates presidential diplomatic adviser, said in a tweet that the blast “is not in the interest of the region or its future” adding “there is no alternative to dialog and a political solution to avoid escalation.”
Previous Incidents
Iran blamed Israel for an April 2021 attack on the key Natanz nuclear enrichment site that affected power supply to the facility and damaged a number of centrifuges. Authorities also said they foiled a plot by Israel’s Mossad spy agency in July to set off explosives at an unspecified “sensitive center” in Isfahan.
Saturday’s strike comes amid continued Western condemnation of Iran’s supply of military drones to Russia and its use of deadly force and executions to suppress anti-government protests. Efforts by world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran also remain effectively suspended.
Also on Saturday night, state media reported a large fire at an engine-oil factory in the industrial town of Azarshahr in the northwestern East Azerbaijan province. The fire was put out by Sunday morning, the semi-official Iranian Students’ News reported, citing Mohammad Bagher Honarbar, head of the disaster management organization for the province.
It’s unclear whether the two events are linked. There have been no reports of deaths or casualties at either incident.
(Updates with comments by UAE aide and fire at Iranian engine-oil maker.)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.