Video footage posted on social media by witnesses shows a large explosion in the night sky above the military facility, which is located on a main road in Isfahan province. Several Iranian nuclear facilities are located in Isfahan, including Natanz, the centerpiece of Iran’s uranium enrichment program. There have been multiple explosions and fires around Iranian military, nuclear and industrial facilities in recent years.
Israel
It is still unclear who was behind the attack. Iran has historically accused archenemy Israel of planning and carrying out attacks using agents on Iranian soil. In July, Tehran said it arrested a sabotage team made up of Kurdish militants working for Israel that planned to blow up a “sensitive” defense industrial center in Isfahan.
An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment when asked about Israeli involvement in the attack.
Nuclear deal
Talks between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal stalled in September. In that deal, from which the United States withdrew in 2018, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear production in exchange for easing sanctions against the country. After the US withdrawal, Iran began enriching uranium to higher concentrations than needed for energy production.