Iranian military base in Isfahan “foils drone attack”
-
Salma Hossein
- . January 30, 2023
- . Update: January 30, 2023 9:11 pm
Three drones were reportedly engaged, according to the ministry, but nobody was hurt. According to the ministry, one drone was shot down by air defence systems, while two more were captured by “defence traps,” which slightly damaged a building. The BBC has not validated the amount of the site’s damage, and no one has yet to take credit.
The “cowardly” event, according to Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, was an attempt to destabilise the nation.
But he went on to say that Iran’s “decision and aim for the peaceful nuclear progress” would not be affected by the incident.
According to Brig Gen Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the Pentagon, the US military was not involved in the strikes but he would not comment further, according to Reuters.
The incident occurs amid rising unrest related to Iran’s nuclear programme and its armaments shipments to Russia for the conflict in Ukraine.
Read | Erdogan claims that Turkey might allow Finland to join NATO but would reject Sweden
The tragic death of a lady who was imprisoned for disobeying Iran’s strict clothing code has also caused internal unrest in the nation.
According to a statement made to Iranian official media, the drone strike occurred on Saturday night at around 23:30. (20:00 GMT).
Local authorities referred to the location as a “workshop” but made no comments on the activities there. According to the IRNA news agency, the attack was on “an ammunition manufacturing plant.”
A sizable air base and many nuclear facilities, including Natanz, the hub of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, are located in the province of Isfahan.
A separate incident occurred on Saturday, according to the IRNA news agency, in which a fire started at an oil complex close to the city of Tabriz in the northwest. The cause’s nature has not been made public.
On Iranian military, nuclear, and industrial facilities, there have been several explosions, fires, and cyberattacks in recent years.
Israel’s defence minister declared that its operations in the region “are not hidden from the eyes of the adversary” after Iran accused Israel in 2021 of damaging a crucial nuclear facility close to the city of Natanz.
