A terrifying explosion accompanied by intense light in the Parchin area of Tehran
A massive explosion has occurred in the Parchin region east of Tehran. A spokesman for the Defense Ministry said the explosion was in a gas tank and there were no casualties. There have been previous explosions in Parchin, where Iran has been accused of conducting nuclear tests.
Some residents of eastern Tehran reported hearing an explosion in the Parchin area and seeing an orange light in the sky on Friday morning, June 26. Eyewitnesses in the Parchin area who witnessed the explosion up close said that the orange light was on and off for several seconds.
After the news of the Parchin explosion was released, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Amir Davoud Abdi immediately announced in an interview with Iranian state television that a gas tank had exploded in the public area of Parchin, and that the fire had been controlled by firefighters, with no casualties.
The country's military official did not explain the cause of the explosion, but said that his colleagues in the area are investigating the incident in more detail and will provide information as soon as they obtain additional information.
The Fars news agency, close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, immediately reported the Parchin explosion in a moment-by-moment manner, writing: "The situation within the Parchin military zone is completely normal and there are no signs of fire or smoke in the area."
The news agency quoted an unnamed informed official as saying, "The explosion has no connection to the military facilities located in the aforementioned area, and there is no congestion or traffic of rescue and fire vehicles at the entrance to the Parchin military area."
Parchin has already experienced a fire.
Fires and explosions have occurred in Parchin before. The Parchin military complex has been a point of contention between Iran and Western countries in the Islamic Republic's nuclear case. Western countries have previously said that Parchin was the site of tests related to the explosion of an atomic bomb. Iranian authorities have denied these allegations but have not allowed visits to the area.
Earlier in 2014, on Sunday night (October 5/13), a powerful explosion occurred in the area around the Parchin military site in eastern Tehran at around 11:00 PM, killing two people. The explosion shattered windows in surrounding buildings within a 15-kilometer radius. According to residents of the area, the light from the explosion was visible for kilometers.
The Parchin site, located southeast of Tehran, is one of Tehran's military sites where solid fuel for ballistic missiles is produced.
Parchin, in the southeast of Tehran, is considered a military-residential area, with a large portion of the residents of this neighborhood and its towns being controlled by the military, especially members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
At the time, the Iranian Defense Industries Organization announced in a statement that a fire had broken out at an explosives production workshop in eastern Tehran, killing two employees.
According to news agencies, the explosion occurred at the Parchin military site, which is a disputed site between the Iranian government and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Parchin military site is a military garrison controlled by the Revolutionary Guards.
Yukiya Amano, the former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, during his visit to Tehran, had requested access for the Agency's inspectors to the Parchin facility for the umpteenth time at the time.
Hossein Dehghan, Iran's former defense minister and current advisor to the commander-in-chief, had announced at the time that Iran would not allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to visit the Parchin facility.
Based on documents and images, the IAEA suggests that the facility may be related to nuclear activities and that Iran may have conducted a nuclear explosion test at this location. However, after the explosion, Iran denied the facility's connection to nuclear activities and said that access to the facility, due to its military nature, does not fall within Iran's obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Source: DW
