(Featured photo provided by WANA/Reuters)

Recently, explosions occurred at a military factory in Isfahan, a city in central Iran, on Sunday. Nearby, a fire had also started at a fuel refinery in Northwestern Iran around 11:30 pm local time. 

The Iranian defense ministry has stated that drones carried out these attacks, more specifically, Micro Aviation Vehicles (MAVs). However, the attack only did minor damage to the roof of the factory with no casualties, as the ministry said that the complex’s air defenses were able to repel the drones. “There was an unsuccessful attack by small drones against a defense ministry industrial complex and fortunately with predictions and air defense arrangements already in place, one of them (struck),” stated the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Twitter. One of the drones was successfully shot down while two others were caught in defensive traps.

At a Sunday news conference, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called the attack “cowardly” and how it would not prevent Iran from marching forward towards progress. Although the defense ministry never made any public claims as to who might’ve been responsible for the bombing, many foreign officials believe that Israel may have been the one behind it. Israel is thought to be behind many similar attacks in recent years, such as a blackout that occurred in Natanz, a city with an important Iranian nuclear facility, on National Nuclear Day. Israel has also been known to attack Iranian interests in Syria. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to make a statement regarding the accusations.

The attack comes at an especially significant and tough time in Iran’s history, as the country faces nationwide protests over legally required hijabs, only further intensified by the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iranian morality police. Meanwhile, nuclear deals with the United States have been going nowhere, as the country continues to advance its nuclear program to the point of eventually being able to make weapons of mass destruction, which Israel has publicly stated it will do its best to prevent.

However, it’s thought by many analysts that this particular attack could have been provoked by Iran’s involvement in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, as it has been supplying Russia with military drones to be used on civilian targets. Iran’s foreign minister did acknowledge that Iran had supplied drones to Russia, but they say it happened long before the invasion.

Russia’s foreign ministry has condemned the drone strikes against its ally, stating how it’s doing nothing to help bring peace in a particularly unstable part of the world. However, one of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s advisers, Mykhailo Podolyak, would also make a public statement on Twitter upon hearing the news of the bombing, stating that: “War logic is inexorable & murderous. It bills the authors & accomplices strictly. Explosive night in Iran — drone & missile production, oil refineries. 🇺🇦 did warn you.” Iran has reportedly summoned Ukraine’s charge d’affaires to Tehran, the nation’s capital, in response to Podolyak’s comments.

Sources:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iran-drone-attack-military-factory-israel-tensions-rcna68114

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/30/middleeast/drone-strikes-iran-isfahan-intl/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/29/drone-attack-hits-iran-ammunition-factory-reports