Reports of explosions in Iran

Reports of explosions in Iran spooking markets

Forex Live,

7 May, 2013

One of the reasons being tossed around to explain the wave of risk aversion is a report from BBC Persian that three explosions were heard by residents in Tehran.

Three explosions were heard in western Tehran on Tuesday, in an area where Iran carries out missile research and storage.

The market is jittery about the Middle East after Israel attacked Syrian targets on Friday.

I’m a bit skeptical that this is directly the reason for the turnaround in sentiment because the reports have been circulating for more than an hour but it’s one of the ideas that’s out there.

There are also the reports of UN peacekeepers being abducted in the Israel-Syria border region.

BBC reporter: Blasts heard near Tehran arms plant

BBC Persian reporter: Residents heard blasts in Iranian capital in an area where Iran carries out missile research, storage.

Jerusalem Post,

8 May 2013

A BBC Persian journalist wrote Tuesday on the Twitter social media website that three explosions had been heard in western Tehran, in an area where Iran carries out missile research and storage.

It was not immediately clear if there were injuries or damage in the incident.

In January, both Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency denied reports that a blast had hit the Fordow underground uranium enrichment center near Qom.

A mysterious and massive explosion rocked a military arms depot near Tehran in November 2011, killing 17 Revolutionary Guards Corps officers and wounding 17 others.

Iranian officials said the blast was caused by an accident as soldiers moved munitions at the base in Bidganeh, near Shahriar, 45 km. west of the Iranian capital. The base is also believed to be the storage center for some of Iran’s most-advanced long-range ballistic missiles, such as the Shahab 3.

Israel and the United States have been accused over the years of working to sabotage the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programs.

In October 2010, a similar blast took place at a Revolutionary Guards munitions store in Khoramabad, in western Iran, killing and wounding several servicemen.

Tuesday's report of explosions came days after Israel allegedly carried out two air strikes in Syria over the weekend, targeting Iranian-supplied Fateh-110 surface-to-surface missiles destined for Hezbollah.