Israel said on Wednesday it attacked a pharmaceutical facility in Iran, alleging it was supplying fentanyl for use in its chemical weapons program, a charge Tehran denies.Iran confirmed that the Tofi Daru factory was attacked, but said it only produced “hospital medicines” used in medical procedures. Both sides said the strike took place on Tuesday, the AP reported.“War criminals in Israel are now openly and shamelessly bombing pharmaceutical companies,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, sharing a photo of the site on Twitter.Fentanyl, a powerful and highly potent synthetic opioid, is widely used in hospitals to treat severe pain, although even small amounts can be fatal.
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Israel and the United States have raised concerns in recent years about Iran’s exploration of the use of fentanyl in weapons. Washington has also pointed to Iranian academic research examining Russia’s use of a fentanyl-based agent during the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis.Israel said the targeted facility supplied fentanyl to a Tehran-based research body called SPND, which the US alleges has done work related to nuclear explosive devices and other weapons.