Fire erupts at battery factory run by Iranian Defense Ministry for 2nd time in days

TEHRAN, Iran — A fire broke out Thursday at a car battery factory owned by Iran’s Defense Ministry for the second time in less than a week, state media reported.

No one was injured in the blaze, which erupted in an area where plastic waste is stored, state TV said. Iranian news outlets circulated photos and video footage of a column of black smoke rising into the sky north of the capital, Tehran.

Iran’s regular military and its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard operate several factories across the country, many of which produce civilian goods.

Iran has seen a series of fires and other mishaps in its military facilities over the years, and often accuses its archenemy Israel of sabotage.

Last month, Iran claimed that it had foiled a major plan by Israel’s Mossad spy agency to sabotage its missile production and its defense industry as a whole.

Tehran frequently claims to foil Mossad operations in the country, but the veracity of such claims is unclear.

Iranian regime's MoD confirms:
Blast in the plastic warehouse of the "department of energy resources" of the Defense Ministry, no casualties.

Nobonyad neighborhood, #Tehran#Iran pic.twitter.com/B4X2BMaWCu

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— Aleph א (@no_itsmyturn) September 28, 2023

Tehran and Jerusalem have long accused each other of espionage activities and plots to sabotage critical infrastructure, part of a lengthy shadow war between them.

Israel views Iran as its greatest threat and has repeatedly threatened to take military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies seeking such weapons and has vowed a harsh response to any Israeli aggression.

Iran has been under heavy Western sanctions for several years that prevent it from importing a range of machinery and replacement parts, forcing it to build its own or source them on the black market. That has likely made industrial mishaps more common.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report