A series of unexplained explosions and fires have struck industrial facilities across Iran in recent days, with the latest incidents reported Sunday in the cities of Mashhad and Qom.
Iranian media said a powerful explosion rocked a motorcycle factory in Mashhad, in the country’s north, igniting a fire in a warehouse containing tires and cardboard. The fire was later extinguished, and authorities have yet to confirm casualties or determine the cause of the blast.
Powerful explosion rocks motorcycle factory in Mashhad, norhern Iran
About an hour earlier, the opposition-run channel Iran International reported five people were injured in an explosion at a petrochemical raw materials plant in an industrial zone in the central city of Qom. The cause of that incident also remains unclear.
On Saturday, Iran International reported a large fire at a cardboard factory in Karaj, near the capital Tehran. It was the latest in a string of similar incidents that have sparked growing concerns over industrial safety and possible acts of sabotage.
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Last week, a massive explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in the southern city of Bandar Abbas killed at least 70 people and injured hundreds. Iranian officials initially blamed negligence in the storage of chemical materials. However, some voices within Iran have suggested the blast may have been the result of deliberate sabotage. Reports indicated the explosion involved chemicals imported from China, allegedly intended for use in the production of solid fuel for ballistic missiles.
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Shahid Rajaee port
(Photo: Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
Just three days later, another explosion occurred at a warehouse near the central city of Isfahan. According to reports, one person was killed and two others were injured. Saudi outlet Al Hadath said the blast occurred at a chemical industry site tied to gunpowder production and overseen by Iran’s National Security Council. Iran International echoed the report, adding that the facility specializes in flammable materials and is involved in the manufacturing of fireworks and dynamite.
Authorities have not officially linked the incidents, but the frequency and nature of the explosions have raised questions over the safety of Iran’s industrial sector—and the possibility of foreign or domestic sabotage.