Massive Explosion Sound Accompanied by Intense Light in Parchin Area of Tehran

A massive explosion has occurred in eastern Tehran in the Parchin area. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense said the explosion was in a gas tank and caused no casualties. Explosions have previously occurred in Parchin, and Iran has been accused of atomic testing.

Some residents of eastern Tehran on Friday morning, June 26 (Tir 6), reported hearing an explosion sound in the Parchin area and observing an orange light in the sky. Eyewitnesses in the Parchin area who witnessed the explosion up close said the orange light burned brightly and spread for several seconds.

Amir Dawood Abbadi, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Defense, immediately announced after the news of the Parchin explosion in a conversation with Iranian state television that a gas tank in the public area of Parchin had exploded, the fire was controlled by firefighting forces, and there were no casualties.

The military official did not explain the cause of the explosion but said his colleagues are conducting a more detailed investigation in the area and will provide information as soon as additional details are obtained.

Fars News Agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but immediately reported the Parchin explosion moment by moment, stating: “In the vicinity of the Parchin military area, the situation is completely normal and there is no sign of fire or smoke in the area.”

The news agency quoted an informed official who did not mention his name, saying “the explosion has no connection to military facilities located in the above area, and there is no congestion or movement of ambulance and fire brigade vehicles at the entrance of the Parchin military area.”

Fires have previously occurred in Parchin

Fires and explosions have previously occurred in Parchin. The Parchin military complex has been one of the disputed issues between Iran and Western countries in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear file. Western countries previously said that Parchin was where tests related to atomic bomb explosions were conducted. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s authorities have rejected these accusations but have also not allowed visits to this area.

Previously, in 2014, on Sunday night (October 5, Mehr 13), around 11 p.m., a severe explosion occurred in eastern Tehran, in areas surrounding the “Parchin” military site, which resulted in two deaths. As a result of this explosion, windows of buildings within a radius of 15 kilometers were shattered. According to residents of the area, the light from the explosion was visible for kilometers.

The Parchin site located in the southeastern Tehran is among Tehran’s military sites where solid fuel for ballistic missiles is produced.

Parchin, in the southeastern part of Tehran, is considered a military-residential area where a large portion of the residents of this district and its townships are under the control of military personnel, especially members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran’s Defense Industries Organization at that time announced in a statement that a workshop for the production of pyrotechnic materials in eastern Tehran caught fire, and as a result of this accident, two employees of this workshop lost their lives.

Based on news agency reports, however, the explosion occurred at the Parchin military site. This site is among the places of dispute between the Iranian government and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The “Parchin” military site is a military barracks and under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Yukiya Amano, former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on his visit to Tehran sought for the umpteenth time at that time for Agency inspectors to have access to the “Parchin” facilities.

Hussein Dehqan, Iran’s former defense minister and current advisor to the commander-in-chief, announced at that time that Iran would not allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit the “Parchin” facilities.

The Agency, based on documents and images, suspects that this center may be related to nuclear activities and Iran may have conducted nuclear explosion tests at this location. However, Iran, following this explosion, denies the connection of this center to nuclear activities and says that access to these facilities, due to their military nature, does not fall within Iran’s commitments under the “Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.”

Source: DW