Iran Averts Drone Attack As Bomb-Carrying Drones Target Defence Factory

An 'unsuccessful' drone attack caused a blast at a military plant in Iran's central city of Isfahan. Bomb-carrying drones targeted an Iranian defense factory in Isfahan overnight, authorities said.

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New Delhi: An “unsuccessful” drone attack caused a blast at a military plant in Iran's central city of Isfahan, as the Iranian state media reported on Sunday, citing the defence ministry.

"One of (the drones) was hit by the ... air defence and the other two were caught in defence traps and blew up. Fortunately, this unsuccessful attack did not cause any loss of life and caused minor damage to the workshop's roof," the ministry said in a statement as quoted by state news agency IRNA.

According to the authorities, bomb-carrying drones targeted an Iranian defense factory in the central city of Isfahan overnight early Sunday, news agency AP reported. It caused some damage at the plant amid heightened regional and international tensions surrounding the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian Defense Ministry offered no information on who it suspected of carrying out the attack. A refinery fire broke out in the country’s northwest and a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck nearby, killing two people.

According to the earlier report by the Iranian news agencies, a loud blast was heard. They also carried a video showing a flash of light at the plant, said to be an ammunition factory, and footage of emergency vehicles and fire trucks outside the plant.

In July, Iran said it had arrested a sabotage team made up of Kurdish militants working for Israel who planned to blow up a "sensitive" defence industry centre in Isfahan, as reported by Reuters. The announcement came amid rising tensions with arch-enemy Israel over Tehran's nuclear programme. Israel says Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Although Tehran had denied the same.

"(The attack) has not affected our installations and mission...and such blind measures will not have an impact on the continuation of the country's progress," the defence ministry statement said, as reported by Reuters.

In previous years, there have been a number of explosions and fires around Iranian military, nuclear and industrial facilities. In 2021, Iran accused Israel of sabotaging its key Natanz nuclear site and vowed revenge for an attack in a long-running covert war, as reported by Reuters.

The blasts at sensitive Iranian sites have at times caused concern amid tensions over Iran's nuclear programme with Israel and the United States. Israel has long threatened military action against Iran in case indirect talks between Washington and Tehran fail to salvage the 2015 nuclear pact.