Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Apr 06, 2026

Is Iran under attack? Six curious incidents prompt theory that it might be

Iranian authorities initially dismissed them as accidents but now there are claims that the country's enemies could be involved.

There have been six curious incidents over the past couple of weeks in Iran.

On the face of it, they are unconnected. But as conspiracy theories abound, what do we actually know? Could they be attacks? Who could be behind them and why?


What happened?


26 June: An explosion at a weapons depot in Parchin near Tehran. Hours later, 600 miles south in Shiraz, the power went out.

30 June: An explosion killed 19 people at a medical clinic in central Tehran.

2 July: An 'incident' was reported by Iranian media at the Natanz nuclear facility.

3 July: A huge fire in Shiraz, the same town hit by the power outage days earlier.

4 July: A fire at a power station in Ahvaz in southern Iran.


What do we know about each incident?


The Parchin attack


The explosion took place early on the morning of 26 June. Footage captured by locals showed a huge arc-like explosion lighting up the sky.

The Iranian defence ministry claimed it was the consequence of a "gas storage facility" leak at the Parchin military base.

Iranian media was given access to a site showing a small hole in a gas tank inconsistent with the images of a huge explosion.

Open-source satellite images released by the weekend showed a large burnt patch of land. It was not located within the military base, as Iran had claimed, but next to it, at a missile production facility in Khojir.

Days later, Kuwait's al Jarida newspaper quoted a "senior security source" saying that the attack was carried out by an Israeli F-35 stealth fighter jet.

Officials from the Israeli prime minister's office and the Israeli Defence Force both declined to comment.

The Khojir missile complex, part of the wider Parchin military zone, is understood to contain a research, development and manufacturing facility.

Parchin was visited by nuclear inspectors in 2015 after renovations to the facility prompted international suspicion of nuclear activity.


Shiraz power outage


Six-hundred miles to the south of Parchin, at almost the same time, a power cut hit the city of Shiraz.

Shiraz is home to a major air base and the Iranian military's 55th Airborne Brigade.

No explanation has been given for the cut.



Tehran clinic explosion


Nineteen people died on 30 June after an explosion at the Sina Athar clinic in Tehran.

State media showed extensive damage, with injured people stretchered to ambulances.

Iranian media said the explosion was the result of a gas leak.


Natanz enrichment facility 'incident'


The explosion happened at about 2am on 2 July.

Reports of an incident at the nuclear enrichment facility first emerged from Iranian state media eight hours later.

State media was given a tour of the facility the same afternoon.

A spokesman for the country's Atomic Energy Organisation confirmed minor damage and said there was no risk of radioactive pollution.

The New York Times then quoted an unnamed Middle Eastern intelligence official as saying that "the blast was caused by an explosive device planted inside the facility. The explosion... destroyed much of the above-ground-parts of the facility".

Other reports have suggested the explosion might have been caused by a cyberattack. In 2010, high-speed centrifuges at the same facility were knocked out by the Stuxnet computer worm.

Experts have variously attributed the origin of Stuxnet virus to Israel and the US.

Natanz is at the centre of the Iranian nuclear programme and is on the International Atomic Energy Agency's list of nuclear sites of interest.

Some of the country's more sophisticated uranium enrichment centrifuges are thought to be assembled at Natanz.

Iranian officials have now conceded that significant damage was caused in the 2 July incident.


Fire in Shiraz


Social media video on Thursday night showed a large mysterious fire in the southern city of Shiraz.

Relying only on social media reports, it's thought the fire was in the Zargari area of the city.


Ahvaz power station fire


A fire knocked out a power station transformer in the southwestern city of Ahvaz on Saturday.

Al Arabiya TV quoted a firefighter as saying that one of the generators had exploded.

There is no known military or nuclear facility in Ahvaz.


Coincidental incidents or part of a coordinated attack?


Intriguingly, the Israeli foreign minister used a weekend conference to fuel speculation.

Asked about the incident in Natanz, Gabi Ashkenazi said: "We have a long-term policy... not to allow Iran to have nuclear abilities.

"This regime with those abilities is an existential threat to Israel... we take actions that are better left unsaid," the foreign minister said.

It follows a pattern by Israel of neither confirming nor denying involvement in attacks which take place frequently against Iranian targets in Syria and Iran.

Israel is increasingly concerned by what it sees as the growing danger posed by Iran's nuclear weapons programme and its attempt to supply regional proxies - such as Hezbollah in Lebanon - with precision-guided missiles.

Israel consistently lobbies Western allies to take the Iranian threat seriously.

In 2011, an explosion in Iran killed a key architect of the country's missile programme. It knocked Iran's nuclear programme back by several years and was attributed to Israel.

A UN arms embargo on Iran is due to expire in October. There is a broad diplomatic effort led by Saudi Arabia and the US, supported by Israel, to extend it.


What now?


Mr. Yossi Cohen has been promoted today for extended 6 months as the Mossad successful leader. This is a bold move that is more-likely to continue the Iran operation and the US election rather than just dealing with Jeffery Epstein snow-ball case (Clinton can easily take care of this small task instead).  On the other hand that will limit the ability for Mr. Cohen to replace PM Benjamin Netanyahu once Netanyahu will become the president - replacing Reuven 'Ruvi' Rivlin - next year. That will have a very strong impact on the whole "relationship" with Iran, as it's all based on very strong and personal relationship of Netanyahu&Cohen with Trump and Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). As long as they are in power - Iran can do nothing but talking.

On Thursday, Iranian officials hinted that the Natanz incident was a cyberattack and "sabotage" by Iran's enemies. But they stopped short of accusing Israel or the US.

"If it is proven that our country has been targeted by a cyber attack, we will respond," civil defence chief Gholamreza Jalali told state TV.

Asked about the incidents at strategic sites in Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters: "Clearly we can't get into that."

With Iran, the United States and Israel dealing with significant new spikes of coronavirus, it seems unlikely that any of them wants to be drawn into conflict.

But Iran now says that the incident at the Natanz facility caused significant damage, potentially setting back its production capability.

If the Iranian regime concludes formally that it was a cyber attack then they may want to be seen to respond in kind.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iranian Drone Strike on US Embassy in Saudi Arabia Reportedly Targeted Intelligence Facility
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Meets French Embassy Official to Strengthen Bilateral Engagement
Saudi Arabia Calls on United States to Seize Strategic Opportunity to Reshape Middle East
Dating Apps Surge in Saudi Arabia as Social Norms Rapidly Evolve Among Youth
Saudi Arabia Detains Over Fourteen Thousand Illegal Residents in Week-Long Enforcement Drive
Saudi Foreign Minister Engages in Diplomatic Talks with Pakistan, Kuwait and Latvia on Regional Developments
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Cruise Missile as Regional Tensions Intensify
Saudi Stock Market Edges Higher as Tadawul Index Records Modest Gain
Underlying Rivalry Between Saudi Arabia and UAE Persists Despite Temporary Calm
Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Sector Contracts in March as Regional Tensions Weigh on Business Activity
Saudi Arabia Unveils Ambition to Establish Prestigious Global Prize Rivaling the Nobel
Saudi Crown Prince to Engage Wall Street in Push for Investment and Economic Expansion
Iran Accuses Saudi Arabia and UAE After Downing of Chinese-Made Drone
Saudi Arabia Condemns Attack on Hospital in Sudan, Calls for Protection of Civilians
Coordinated Drone Strike Targets CIA Facility Within US Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Italy’s Meloni Prioritises Energy Security and Strait of Hormuz Stability During Gulf Tour
Uncertainty Emerges Over Timeline and Direction of Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Ski Resort Project
UAE and Saudi Arabia Escalate Strategy with Drone Operations Targeting Iran
Trump Delivers Characteristic Remarks on Saudi Crown Prince Amid Intensifying Iran Conflict
Drone Strike on US Embassy in Riyadh Caused Greater Damage Than First Reported
Saudi Arabia Introduces Flexible Solutions for Expired Visas Amid Regional Disruptions
Saudi Arabia’s Online Car Market Accelerates with AI Pricing and Fully Digital Buying Experience
Saudi Arabia Reassesses Defence Strategy as Iranian Drone Threat Drives Shift in Military Partnerships
Drone Strikes Target Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Japan and Saudi Arabia Align Efforts to Ease Rising Tensions with Iran
Saudi Crown Prince and Italy’s Meloni Strengthen Strategic Ties in High-Level Talks
SpaceX Explores Potential Five Billion Dollar Investment from Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Ahead of IPO
Saudi Arabia Lifts Key Import Barriers to Expand Access for U.S. Beef Exports
Saudi Arabia Enforces Strict Travel Penalties for Visits to Restricted Countries
Italy’s Meloni Embarks on Strategic Gulf Tour to Address Energy Security and Regional Stability
Saudi Film Festival Rescheduled to Summer as Regional Tensions Continue
Saudi Arabia Reports Forty Two Point Six Billion Dollars in Foreign Tourist Spending in 2025
Saudi Crown Prince and Russian President Hold Strategic Call on Escalating Regional Crisis
Saudi Arabia Advances Rail Network as Strategic Alternative to Strait of Hormuz Shipping Route
Ruanyun Edai Launches Saudi Arabia Hub With Forecast of Ten Percent Revenue Growth
Greek Defence Minister Visits Troops in Saudi Arabia Following Successful Missile Interception
Saudi Arabia Expands Global Strategy With Focus on African Critical Minerals
SpaceX Explores Potential Five Billion Dollar Investment From Saudi Fund Ahead of Possible IPO
US Central Command Dismisses Iranian Claim of Mass Casualties Among American Personnel in Saudi Arabia
Co-Diagnostics to Establish Molecular Diagnostics Facility in Saudi Arabia Through Joint Venture
Trump Engages Saudi Crown Prince in Talks on Potential Iran Ceasefire
Saudi Arabia’s Sadara Suspends Operations as Supply Chain Disruptions Intensify
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Energy Shift by Trading Oil Revenues for Battery Investments
Saudi Arabia Introduces Flexible Options for Expired Visas Amid Regional Disruptions
Online Narratives Surge as Iran–US Tensions Spill Into Digital Arena Following Trump Remarks
Saudi Arabia Urges Trump to Seize Strategic Moment as UAE Weighs Ground Deployment
Saudi Arabia Redirects Nearly One Million Barrels of Oil Daily Away from Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Execution of Businessman Linked to 2011 Qatif Unrest
Ukraine–Saudi Defense Pact Signals Rising Demand for Battlefield Expertise
Saudi Arabia Balances Diplomacy and Defense Preparedness Amid Iran Conflict
×