© Reuters. Is the powder keg being ignited in the Middle East?Explosions occurred in many places in Iran, a military factory was bombed
News from the Financial Associated Press on January 29 (edited by Niu Zhanlin)According to a report by Iranian state television in the early hours of Sunday (January 29) local time, a huge explosion occurred in a weapons production center affiliated to the Ministry of Defense in the central Iranian city of Isfahan. The province’s security official said no one was killed in the blast.
The video released by the Iranian media showed that there was a huge explosion sound from the weapons production center, accompanied by explosion flashes, and footage of factory rescue vehicles and fire trucks was also shown.
After the incident, the Iranian Ministry of Defense issued a statement stating that at around 23:30 local time on the 28th, the attack on a military center of the Iranian Ministry of Defense in Isfahan ended in failure.
The statement noted that there were three drones involved in the attack. One of the drones was successfully intercepted by the air defense system of the military center, and the other two drones were interfered by the defense system and then exploded. The statement pointed out that the attack caused no casualties and equipment damage, and the explosion only caused minor damage to the center’s roof.
At present, the Iranian authorities have not stated which side the attack came from.The Isfahan bombing came amid rising tensions between Iran and the West over accusations that Tehran supplied armed drones to Russia.
In the past few years, there have been frequent explosions and fires around Iran’s military and nuclear industrial facilities, including the Natanz nuclear facility in 2021, when Iran accused Israel of being behind it.
Such bombings have sparked public concern amid ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel and the United States. Israel has repeatedly warned that it will take military action against Iran if indirect talks between the two countries fail to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal.
The Middle East was originally a land of right and wrong, full of quagmire and minefields. Iran has always been tough on the West and has complicated relations with its neighbors, making it a “powder keg” in the region.
CIA chief William Burns visited Israel earlier this week and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt, Israel and the West Bank from Jan. 29-31, according to a U.S. official.
many explosions
According to reports, an explosion at an industrial oil production plant in the city of Azashahr in northwestern Iran was also reported on Saturday, followed by fire. It is understood that the accident occurred in the Shahid Salimi Park, the largest industrial park in northwestern Iran.
Preliminary investigations showed that the fire was caused by a high-temperature explosion in some oil tanks of the refinery in the park. In addition, during the rescue process, a fire truck was also destroyed by the fire. At present, no casualties reported.
On the same day, an explosion occurred in a hospital in southern Iran, killing 1 and injuring 8. The preliminary analysis is that the fire extinguisher exploded, but the specific cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
According to media reports, there were also videos and reports of explosions and fires at a factory in Karaj, west of Tehran, and near Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan Province.
earthquake
An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck the city of Hoy in northwestern Iran on Saturday night. Social networks and the media published photos of different settlements in the province, with massive damage to houses and transport.
The number of people injured in the quake in northwest Iran rose to 447 and the death toll rose to three, Iranian media reported.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Muhber instructed to provide assistance to the earthquake-stricken residents as soon as possible, and emphasized that all forces and equipment will be mobilized to provide assistance to the victims.
Azerbaijani embassy in Iran attacked
The day before, the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran was attacked by armed forces, causing casualties.
“The Azerbaijani embassy in Iran was attacked by armed forces. The attack resulted in one death and one wounded,” the Azerbaijan News Agency reported.
Tehran police chief Hossein Rahimi said the men who attacked the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran on Friday morning had personal motives. “The attacker entered the embassy building with his two young children. During the preliminary interrogation, the motive he explained was trouble for him personally and for his family.”
