Two Senior Officers Killed in 'Gas Leak' Incident at IRGC Workshop in Isfahan

The IRGC 'Sahib al-Zaman' in Isfahan announced in a statement the death of two individuals due to what it termed a 'gas leak' at one of its workshops. According to a brief announcement from the public relations office of the IRGC in Isfahan published on Thursday, September 8, ten others were also injured in this incident. The identities of the deceased were announced as 'Lieutenant Commander Mojtaba Nazari from Qahderijan' and 'Second Colonel Mokhtar Marshidi from Fereydunshahr County.' The official IRGC statement does not clarify whether the gas leak led to an explosion. No other details were mentioned, and it is unclear in which IRGC workshop and in what area of Isfahan this incident occurred. The Islamic Republic typically does not provide transparent information about such incidents. Previously, there has been a lack of precise reporting regarding explosions at some of Iran's nuclear facilities. In Bahman 1402, a drone attack attributed to Israel targeted what the Islamic Republic describes as the 'workshop complex of the Ministry of Defense' in Isfahan. The Islamic Republic has not clearly stated what types of products are produced at these facilities. Analysis of satellite images and footage from the Islamic Republic's television indicated that the roof of these facilities was constructed with 'cage armor.' This type of structure resembles protective layers installed on the roofs and around the towers of armored vehicles to withstand rocket or drone strikes. The use of these protective layers on the roofs of military facilities in Isfahan suggests that the Islamic Republic anticipated these facilities would be targeted by drone attacks. Several past attacks on sensitive military and nuclear facilities in Iran, including the April 2021 attack on the underground nuclear facility in Natanz in Isfahan, have also been attributed to Israel, but there has been no transparent reporting about these attacks.