Smoke billows from a fire at the Iranian defense ministry's battery warehouse in Tehran, September 2023.

Fire Breaks Out At Iran’s Defense Ministry Warehouse

Friday, 09/22/2023

An overnight fire broke out at a warehouse of Iranian defense ministry, the latest in a series of incidents hitting the Islamic Republic's industrial facilities.

State media reported on Friday that the fire at the 2,000-square-meter storage site in the capital Tehran had been extinguished, with no reports of casualties or details regarding damage.

A statement from the defense ministry indicated that the fire had affected one of the plastic material warehouses associated with battery manufacturing and affiliated with the defense ministry. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

According to Tehran's fire brigade, the blaze broke out around midnight, and state broadcasters aired footage showing smoke rising from the scene.

Last month, a massive fire occurred in an industrial zone in Doroud, southwest Iran, resulting in two individuals being hospitalized.

Since mid-2020, a series of explosions and fires have taken place in Iran's military, nuclear, and industrial facilities. In March, a substantial fire impacted three warehouses owned by a home appliances manufacturer, while in January, a significant fire broke out at an Iranian military industry factory in Esfahan (Isfahan), with suspicions of a drone strike. Iran attributed the strike to Israel, although the claims were never officially confirmed.

Late in August, Iran reiterated its accusations against Israel, alleging its involvement in a failed plot to sabotage Iran's defense industry and missile production. Iranian authorities stated that a network of agents had attempted to introduce faulty components into the production of advanced missiles.

Israel has consistently maintained its willingness to target Iranian facilities if diplomatic efforts fail to restrain Iran's nuclear or missile programs, although it refrains from commenting on specific incidents.

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