Seven boats mysteriously catch fire in Iran port city amid talk of 'foreign sabotage'

Seven boats mysteriously catch fire in Iran port city amid talk of 'foreign sabotage'
The unexplained incident comes following a series of explosions and fires which have occurred at sensitive sites in Iran, including nuclear, military, and industrial facilities .
2 min read
The unexplained incident comes following a series of explosions and fires in Iran [Twitter]

At least seven boats have caught fire in the southern Iranian port city of Bushehr, local media report, in the latest in a series of mysterious fires and explosions to hit the Islamic Republic, fuelling domestic fears of sabotage by arch rivals Israel and the US.

Fire services were alerted to a blaze at the shipyard shortly after 1pm Wednesday, provincial crisis response director Jahangir Dehqani told Tasnim News Agency.

Heavy winds had hampered authorities' efforts to control the fire, with video footage circulating on social media showing fire services tackling the blaze amid thick clouds of billowing smoke.

It has since been contained, and no casualties have been reported, according to local media.

The unexplained incident comes following a series of explosions and fires at sensitive sites in Iran, including nuclear, military, and industrial facilities over the past two months.

A fire hit the centrifuge at the country's Natanz nuclear plant, prompting some domestic commentators to suggest it was a form of cyber attack and warned that Tehran could retaliate to any state sponsored sabotage, singling out arch-enemy Israel.

Read more: As mysterious explosions rock Iran's nuclear facilities, is cyber-warfare Israel's newest weapon of choice?

Natanz is the centrepiece of Iran's enrichment programme, Reuters report, which Tehran claims is for peaceful purposes.

Western intelligences agencies, along with the UN's nuclear watchdog, believe it is the site of a top-secret nuclear arms programme halted in 2003 – something Iran vehemently denies.

In late June, two explosions rocked the capital Tehran, one near a military site and the other in a health centre, killing 19 people.

Around the same time, an explosion took place east of Tehran near the Parchin military and weapons development base which authorities claimed was caused by a nearby gas leak.

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