Iran faced another mysterious explosion Saturday night, according to The Guardian.
Nine people were injured at a factory located in Isafan. Inside the complex owned by Stephan Nargostar Chemical Industries is the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), which manufactures aircrafts and drones, according to The Guardian. The cause the explosion is currently unknown.
The explosion has also been linked to a drone that was shot down by Israel Tuesday, according to The Guardian. Remains of the aircraft were collected for examination, according to The Jerusalem Post. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a drone armed with explosives was shot down by the Israel Defense Forces, according to The Times of Israel.
The blast also occurred just days after Israel claimed that Iran was giving drones to Hamas in Gaza, according to The Guardian.
#BREAKING: A factory that makes Iranian drones has suffered a major explosion days after Israel has downed an armed Iranian drone that crossed into Israel – @patrickwintour scoop
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 23, 2021
The explosion occurred around 4 a.m. local time, according to The Times of Israel. Locals posted about the blast overnight on social media. Iranian media reported the incident late Sunday morning, according to The Jerusalem Post. (RELATED: Bomb Explodes New Israeli Embassy In New Delhi)
Last year, several fires and explosions occurred at industrial sites throughout Iran. Iranian authorities claim that most of the explosions were accidents. However, some experts say one explosion was likely an attack. In some cases last year, Iranian media waited hours to report the incidents and even provided false information about the location of the event, according to The Jerusalem Post.