2020 Iran explosions

The 2020 Iran explosions are a series of explosions in Iran, with undetermined causes of origin. First reported on 25 June 2020, the explosions' locations included nuclear enrichment facilities,[1] missile sites,[2][3][4] petrochemical centers,[5] power plants[6] and medical clinics.[7] The government has denied reports of explosions in its missile sites while acknowledging damage to its largest nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz.[8][1]

Some Western and Iranian officials stated the cause of explosions to be Israeli cyber attacks and covert US and Israeli strikes.[9][10] A group calling itself the "Homeland Panthers" (Persian: یوزپلنگان وطن‎ yuzpalangan vatan) claimed responsibility for the explosion at the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.[11] The government vowed to retaliate if sabotage was confirmed in its Natanz nuclear facility.[12]

Timeline

Parchin explosion and Shiraz blackout

At noon on 25 June 2020, an explosion hit in the military complex of Parchin, 30 kilometers southeast of the capital Tehran. Within the same hour a power outage affected half of the southern city of Shiraz; housing major military facilities. Officials declared the explosion a gas storage accident and said that an explosion had hit the power station in Shiraz, causing the blackout.[13][8] Western analyst stated that the explosion in Parchin had occurred in a missile storage facility, with hidden nuclear detonation technology work.[2][14][3][4]

A Western analyst claimed the explosion in Parchin was caused by an Israeli cyberattack, while a senior Iranian commander said he could not comment whether the explosion was a cyberattack until there was a conclusion on the issue.[15][16] Citing an unnamed senior source, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported that the facility was destroyed in an airstrike by Israeli F-35 stealth fighter jets.[17]

On 30 June 2020, American and Israeli officials speaking to The New York Times said they "had nothing to do with" the explosion in Parchin.[18]

Tehran clinic explosion

On 30 June 2020, an explosion occurred in the Sina At'har health center in the capital Tehran, killing 19 people including 15 women and 4 men. According to the deputy mayor of Tehran the explosion was caused by a leak from medical gas tanks in the building.[19][20]

Natanz nuclear enrichment facility explosion

On 2 July 2020, an explosion hit Iran's largest nuclear enrichment facility in the city of Natanz.[1] Most of the above-ground parts of the facility with advanced centrifuges used for enriching uranium were destroyed. Iran admitted serious damage to its facility while Western analysts said the explosion had set back the Iranian nuclear program one to two years.[1][21]

Israel was widely reported to have been behind the blast. The New York Times claimed that a source which it identified as a "Middle Eastern intelligence official with knowledge of the episode" told the newspaper that Israel was responsible for the attack, and that a powerful bomb had been used. In addition, it cited an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps member who was briefed on the topic and had spoken to the newspaper anonymously as claiming that an explosive device was used.[22] The New York Times later reported that officials with knowledge of the blast had told it that it was most likely the result of a bomb planted at the facility, possibly at a strategic gas line, but that it was not out of the question that a cyberattack was used to cause the explosion.[1][23] The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported that Israel had caused the explosion with a cyberattack.[17]

Khuzestan explosions

On 4 July 2020, an explosion hit the Shahid Medhaj Zargan power plant in the city of Ahvaz. Meanwhile 70 people were injured following a chlorine gas leak at Karun petrochemical center in the city of Mahshahr, near Ahvaz.[24][25]

Baqershahr explosion

On 7 July 2020, 2 people were killed and 3 others were injured following an explosion inside an oxygen factory in the town of Baqershahr, south of the capital Tehran. IRIB said "human error" was the cause of the blast.[26]

According to Western analysts the factory was near the warehouse where an archive of information on Iran's nuclear program was stolen in a raid by Israeli intelligence agents in 2018. While some analysts claimed that the factory belongs to an Iranian automotive manufacturer that closely cooperates with the Iranian Ministry of Defense as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.[27]

Tehran explosions

On 9 July 2020, an explosion was reported in western Tehran. Officials denied that an explosion took place but admitted that power had been cut off in the area.[28]

According to western analysts the blast hit a missile facility/warehouse belonging to Revolutionary Guards. Analysts speaking to The New York Times said that the blast had hit an area with underground facilities, associated with chemical weapons research and an unidentified military production site. An intelligence official told The New York Times that Israel was possibly behind the explosion.[29][30]

On 11 July 2020, a gas explosion shook a residential building in Tehran, injuring one person.[31]

Mahshahr petrochemical plant explosion

On 12 July 2020, a fire followed by an explosion hit the Tondgooyan petrochemical plant in the southwest. A spokesperson for the petrochemical company said the fire and explosion occurred due to "technical problems", and that "hot weather" was also to blame.[32]

Mashad explosion

On 13 July 2020, an explosion hit an industrial complex near the northeastern city of Mashad. Mehr News Agency said the explosion occurred when a gas condensate storage tank exploded, and that the police were investigating the cause.[33]

Ahvaz pipeline explosion

On 18 July 2020, an explosion was reported in an oil pipeline in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.[34]

Isfahan power plant explosion

On 19 July 2020, an explosion hit a power plant in Isfahan Province, no one was injured.[35]

Alleged Israeli aims

According to one report, citing an unnamed former Israeli official and a European Union intelligence official, Israel is behind some of the attacks, with the European source "fearing" that the goal of the Israeli government to provoke a confrontation with Iran.[36] According to these sources, it is widely believed that U.S. President Trump will lose the election in November and that a Biden administration would not support Israeli military operations as the Trump White House has.[36]

See also

References
  1. "Iran nuclear: Natanz fire caused 'significant' damage". BBC News. 5 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  2. Sanger, David E.; Bergman, Ronen; Fassihi, Farnaz (29 July 2020). "After Iranian Missile Facility Blows Up, Conspiracy Theories Abound in Tehran". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  3. "Iran Reports Explosion At Gas-Storage Tank Near Sensitive Military Site". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  4. Frantzman, Seth J. (28 June 2020). "Iran 'mystery' explosion may have been at a secret ballistic missile site". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  5. "Chlorine gas leak at plant sickens 70 in southeast Iran". CTV News. The Associated Press. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  6. Staff, Toi (4 July 2020). "Explosion reportedly damages power plant in Iran, the latest in series of blasts". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. "Gas explosion at Iran medical clinic kills 19" (1 July 2020). The Guardian. Associated Press. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  8. "Explosion at Iran gas storage facility, no casualties: State TV". 26 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  9. Fassihi, Farnaz; Pérez-Peña, Richard; Bergman, Ronen (5 July 2020). "Iran Admits Serious Damage to Natanz Nuclear Site, Setting Back Program". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  10. Sanger, David E.; Schmitt, Eric; Bergman, Ronen (10 July 2020). "Long-Planned and Bigger Than Thought: Strike on Iran's Nuclear Program". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  11. "Mystery Group Claims Responsibility For 'Operation' Against Iran Nuclear Facility". Radio Farda. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  12. Teibel, Amy (13 July 2020). "Iran Vows Retaliation If Sabotage Confirmed at Nuclear Facility". Bloomberg. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  13. Kursun, Muhammet; Dursun, Ahmet (26 June 2020). "Massive explosion reported east of Iran's capital". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  14. Erdbrink, Thomas; Sanger, David E. (21 September 2015). "Atomic Agency Defends How Iran Collected Evidence at Secret Base". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  15. Bar, Neta (29 June 2020). "Was Israel behind Friday's mysterious blast near Tehran?". Israel Hayom. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  16. "No conclusion on Parchin gas explosion's link with cyber-attack: Jalali". MEHR News. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  17. Gross, Judah Ari. "Report: Israeli cyberattack caused Iran nuclear site fire, F35s hit missile base". www.timesofisrael.com.
  18. "American, Israeli Officials Deny Sabotage of Iranian Missile Site, Report Says". Haaretz. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  19. "Explosion in Iran Kills 19, State TV Says". The New York Times. The Associated Press. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  20. "19 Killed in Gas Explosion at Clinic in Iranian Capital". Voice of America. Agence France-Presse. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  21. Harel, Amos (8 July 2020). "Experts: Natanz Explosion Set Back Iran's Nuclear Program by More Than a Year". Haaretz. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  22. "Iran Admits Serious Damage to Natanz Nuclear Site, Setting Back Program". The New York Times. 5 July 2020.
  23. "Israel's alleged Natanz strike 'as complex as Stuxnet,' a major blow to Iran". The Times of Israel. 10 July 2020.
  24. "Fire at power plant, chlorine leak at petrochemical plant in Iran". The Jerusalem post. 5 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  25. "Chlorine gas leak at plant sickens 70 in southeast Iran". CTV News. The Associated Press. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  26. "Factory blast near Iran's capital kills two in latest explosion". Al Jazeera. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  27. Joffre, Tzvi (8 July 2020). "Explosion near Iran's capital kills two, damages factory - IRNA". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  28. Dehghanpisheh, Babak (10 July 2020). "Explosion reported in west Tehran, denied by officials". Reuters. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  29. "Iran state media says explosion heard in Tehran". Deutsche Welle. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  30. Fasihi, Farnaz (9 July 2020). "Major Explosion Rocks Iran Again, the 3rd Blast in 3 Weeks". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  31. "Gas explosion shakes building in Iranian capital: fire department". Reuters. 11 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  32. Julian, Hana Levi (13 July 2020). "Explosion Causes Fire at Petrochemical Company in Southwestern Iran". Jewish Press. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  33. Dehghanpisheh, Babak (13 July 2020). "Explosion as fire breaks out at Iranian industrial complex". Reuters. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  34. Staff, Toi (18 July 2020). "In latest in series of blasts, explosion reported at Iranian oil pipeline". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  35. https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-latest-in-series-of-blasts-in-iran-explosion-hits-power-plant-in-isfahan/
  36. Business Insider, 16 July 2020, "Israel Keeps Blowing up Military Targets in Iran, Hoping to Force a Confrontation before Trump Can Be Voted out in November, Sources Say"

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