Huge Explosion Hits Chemical Factory Near Tehran

A huge explosion has occurred at a chemical factory, apparently a solvent manufacturing facility, in Shahriyar, west of Tehran, Iranian state media reported Thursday night.

According to Fars news agency, the explosion took place at Salar Chemistry Company, about 30 kilometers west of the capital Tehran.

Mohsen Hamyani, the CEO of the Qods Municipality Fire Department, said that several fuel tanks exploded at the factory, adding that firefighters are currently extinguishing the fire and preventing it from spreading to other tanks.

Confirming that the fire is very large, he said that the cause of this explosion is currently unclear, and determining its cause requires the assessment of experts.

Earlier in the week, Iran's main gas pipeline network was struck by at least two explosions at different locations, with government officials labeling it as "sabotage". The scale of damage and disruption caused by multiple gas pipeline explosions became increasingly apparent the following day, as homes and industries in several large provinces were impacted.

The Iranian Ministry of Petroleum attributed the explosions along gas pipelines in multiple regions of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and Fars provinces to sabotage operations by “destructive elements and enemy conspiracies” aimed at disrupting gas supply to major provinces.

It is unclear if the blaze in the chemical plant is the result of a mishap or intentional. Since mid-2020 many acts of sabotage have happened in Iran targeting nuclear, military and industrial facilities.