A loud explosion struck a military industry factory near the central Iranian city of Isfahan overnight in what Tehran said on Sunday was a drone strike by unidentified attackers. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which came amid tension with the West over Tehran’s nuclear activity and supply of arms for Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as months of anti-government demonstrations at home. Iran’s foreign minister said the “cowardly” attack was aimed at creating “insecurity” in Iran. The Defence Ministry said the explosion caused only minor damage and no casualties. The extent of the damage could not be independently confirmed. (…) The Islamic Republic has in the past accused arch-enemy Israel of planning attacks using agents inside Iranian territory. In July, Tehran 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. An Israeli military spokesperson declined comment when asked if Israel had a connection to the latest incident. Israel has long said it could attack Iran if diplomacy fails to curb Tehran’s nuclear or ballistic missile programmes, but has a policy of withholding comment on specific incidents. In Ukraine, which accuses Iran of supplying hundreds of drones to Russia to attack civilian targets in Ukrainian cities far from the front, a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy linked the incident directly to the war there. “War logic is inexorable & murderous. It bills the authors & accomplices strictly,” Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted. “Explosive night in Iran – drone & missile production, oil refineries. Did warn you.”
via reuters: Iranian military factory hit by drone attack