Last night, a powerful explosion reverberated through the city of Khormabad, situated in western Iran. Residents reported the blast originated close to a fuel refinery as well as a known ballisitic missile installation run by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). While Iranian media outlets maintain that no damage or injuries have been documented, the root cause of the explosion remains elusive ,although some speculate it was an attack on a fuel storage facility for ballistic missiles, carried out by Israel's Mossad. Two nights earlier, Iran's largest oil processing facility, the Bandar Abbas refinery, also had an explosion although officials have downplayed its significance.
The loud and unnerving event sent local residents into a state of panic, witnessed by an enormous plume of smoke billowing from the area. Despite the initial wave of apprehension, no casualties have been confirmed, and early assessments suggest that the missile facility itself appears to be unscathed although the oil refinery that is suspected of providing the fuel for those missiles was up in flames.
#BREAKING: A successful sabotage operation of #Israel Intelligence (#Mossad) has resulted in an explosion in the fuel storage facility of Imam Ali ballistic missile base of #IRGC Aerospace Force near #Khorramabad, West of #Iran. The attack is probably conducted by means of… pic.twitter.com/wK92EkX4bU
— Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) September 25, 2023
It's worth noting that this incident is not without historical context. Khormabad and its nearby facilities have a history of similar occurrences. Several years ago, a catastrophic explosion at the areas missile installation claimed the lives of 13 workers. Despite official accounts often downplaying such incidents, they raise legitimate concerns about safety measures at Iranian military installations.
The international news outlet Iran International, defying official dismissals, stated unequivocally, "There is a significant Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp missile base in the city," suggesting that the explosion's proximity to the base is more than coincidental.
Residents of Khorramabad in Western Iran took to the streets late Monday after a loud boom echoed through the city, as per IRGC's Tasnim news. While officials have ruled out an explosion or earthquake, it's worth noting that the city houses a significant IRGC missile base. Imam… pic.twitter.com/p0Ee8VPxqf
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) September 26, 2023
Furthermore, this event aligns with a troubling pattern of accidents and unexplained explosions within Iran's military and industrial sectors. Just last week, a fatal explosion at Iran's southern refinery in Bandar Abbas resulted in one death and four injuries. Earlier, in July, a fire broke out at oil reservoirs operated by the Aftab Oil Refining company in the same region, causing unspecified damage.
Iran has experienced a string of mysterious incidents affecting its military, nuclear, and industrial infrastructures over the past three years. On January 28 of this year, a massive fire broke out at an Iranian military factory in Isfahan, suspected to be the result of a targeted drone strike.
Additionally, on September 24, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that the country's intelligence apparatus had thwarted a series of terrorist bombings planned for Tehran. Dozens of individuals associated with ISIS were arrested in connection to the thwarted plot.
#Explosion at one of the biggest refineries in #Iran, the Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. A statement said that a leak led to the explosion. pic.twitter.com/NRLxOHSOVt
— Genesis Watchman Report (@ReportWatchman) September 25, 2023
Given the frequency and scale of these incidents, questions arise not just about the safety and security protocols at these facilities, but also about whether external factors or internal dissidence might be in play. Official statements from Iran frequently downplay or dismiss the scale and implications of these events, but the consistency and seriousness of these incidents make them increasingly hard to ignore, both domestically and internationally.
For the time being, the mystery surrounding the recent explosion in Khormabad remains unresolved. Yet, it adds another layer of complexity to the challenging safety and security landscape that continues to unfold within Iran.
