Iran regime’s officials and observers link incidents to possible covert attacks amid official silence
A surge in fires and explosions across Iran since the June 24 ceasefire has sparked public concern and speculation among Iranian regime authorities, according to a report by The New York Times on July 23. While the regime has officially attributed many of these incidents to gas leaks, infrastructure failures, or high temperatures, some regime officials privately suspect sabotage.
Three unnamed regime officials, including one affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told The New York Times they believed that “many” of the incidents were acts of sabotage, although they presented no evidence. The officials noted that Iranian regime authorities have refrained from publicly blaming foreign actors in an effort to avoid pressure for retaliation.
An unnamed European official echoed these suspicions, referencing a history of similar operations in the past. Notably, explosions at nuclear and military facilities in 2020 were widely attributed by Western and Iranian sources to external cyberattacks and covert actions.
Among the most significant recent incidents are:
- A fire at the Abadan oil refinery
- An explosion in Qom Province that damaged an apartment building
- A blast in Tehran Province that hit housing for judiciary staff, shattering windows and walls
This pattern of damage is reminiscent of explosions in Tehran in mid-June during the recent conflict. However, such events are not unprecedented in Iran’s summer months, when infrastructure strain and extreme heat often cause fires and technical failures.
Since June 24, dozens of such incidents have been tracked across the country. Notable examples include:
- June 25 – Tehran: Explosion in an unfinished building, attributed to a gas leak
- July 1 – Southern Tehran: Smoke plume after explosion near a warehouse
- July 4 – Gheshm Island: Fire at a commercial complex under investigation
- July 5 – Sanandaj: Multiple explosions at a truck parking lot
- July 10 – Chitgar, Tehran: Gas explosion injures four in a residential tower
Though Iran’s state media continues to report most of these events as accidental, the growing number and clustered timing have deepened public suspicion. The regime’s silence and the lack of accountability only amplify fears of broader security vulnerabilities.
