Multiple witnesses reported hearing a huge explosion in Tehran. Iranian news outlets said that officials are examining a park area in the capital where an unknown object went off.
An "unknown object" exploded, according to a state television reporter on the scene in Park Mellat in northern Tehran, although no casualties have been recorded. The Fars News Agency was one of the first to report the occurrence, however, no information on the cause of the explosion or any damage it may have caused have been provided. Fars and Tasnim afterward uploaded photos of the explosion site, which did not appear to indicate any serious damage.
An unidentified object exploded in Tehran
While unconfirmed video of the blast's aftermath began circulating on social media immediately after the original claims, journalists and witnesses on the ground have denied witnessing any similar fires. Hamidreza Goudarzi, the deputy security chief for Tehran Province, said in a statement, "There was only one explosion," NY Times reported.
Inside Mellat Park, a large and popular green space in the capital next to the offices of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, an unexplained object exploded. According to Iranian media, there were no injuries, and it remained unclear if the bomb was caused by an accident or an attack.
When asked if the explosion was the result of a terrorist act, Goudarzi stated that investigators were on the site looking into the scope and specifics of the blast. Multiple fire trucks rushed to the area, and bystanders were heard asking if it was a bomb or an accident, according to videos shared on social media.
Israel has attacked sensitive locations in Iran in a series of covert operations over the last year, including two assaults on the Natanz nuclear plant, the killing of the country's top nuclear scientist, and a drone attack on a state centrifuge production firm last month.
"We are investigating the dimensions and causes of the incident and we will provide information after we are sure," Goudarzi said when asked if the incident was an attack. Several sensitive military and nuclear sites have been the target of the attackers in recent years despite being a rare incident in Iran.
Iran has accused Israel of attacking nuclear-related sites and scientists on many occasions. The claims have not been confirmed or refuted by Israel, as per AlaRabiya.
Iran previously offered help to the Taliban and the Afghan government
Meanwhile, Iran informed Taliban and Afghan government leaders on Wednesday that it was ready to help in ending the situation in Afghanistan, encouraging Afghan citizens and politicians to make "tough decisions" about the country's future. "Committing to political solutions is the best choice," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a meeting of Afghan government representatives and a high-level Taliban political council.
For decades, Shi'ite Muslim Iran has been an adversary of the hardline Sunni Muslim Taliban; but in recent years, it has met with Taliban officials publicly. Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Qatar have so far failed to yield results.
Per Reuters via MSN, Iran has previously been accused by the US of giving furtivehelp to Taliban insurgents fighting against US soldiers. Tehran has disputed it, claiming that it favors an inclusive Afghan administration that includes all ethnic groups and sects.
The deputy head of the Taliban's political office, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, and Afghan government representatives attended the Tehran meeting, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA. On July 3, US soldiers left Bagram Air Base, thereby ending the longest war in American history.
The move was made as part of a deal with the Taliban, whom the US has been fighting since removing them from power following the al Qaeda attacks on the US on Sept. 11, 2001. The withdrawal came as the Taliban intensified their attack across the country, gaining ground quickly.
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