Israelis wonder about deadly Iranian missile-site explosion

[bemildred]

---

Conspicuously absent from much of the local coverage is the question that nearly everyone here is asking: Did Israel secretly play a role in the explosion?

Israel has previously been accused of sabotage against Iran, including assassinating scientists involved in the nuclear program and helping to unleash the Stuxnet computer virus. Israel never confirmed or denied a role in such efforts, and the government is not commenting on the latest incident.

But Seattle blogger Richard Silverstein says a source he didn't identify told him the explosion was the work of Israel's Mossad, working with Iranian opposition groups, in an effort to relieve the pressure on Israel to launch a full-scale attack.

Israel Radio on Sunday quoted an Arab businessman who recently returned from Iran and said several of his colleagues were leaving Iran out of fear that an Israeli attack might be imminent. In Israel, however, few believe such a strike is on the front-burner.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/11/israelis-wondering-about-deadly-iranian-missile-accident.html

[hack89]

1. I would put my money on an accident

Iran has problems importing military ammunition due to the embargo so they keep everything they have regardless of age. Explosives become unstable as they age and eventually reach a point where they can explode with the slightest touch. I bet they had some old ammunition blow up.

[bemildred]

2. I find it unconvincing too, however not implausible.

I was mainly wondering if it would turn into a bullshit storm, but I think probably not, we have enough bullshit for the moment.

[bemildred]

3. Iran Guards: Officer killed in blast a 'martyr'

A day after a mysterious explosion killed at least 17 people at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps base near Tehran, Iranian media outlets on Sunday published photos of a senior officer who was killed in the blast.

In an obituary published by the Revolutionary Guards, Hassan Tehrani Moqaddam, whose rank was equivalent to that of a brigadier general, is described as a "shahid (martyr)" and one of the key figures in Iran's missile program. The Guards vowed to continue in Moqaddam's "path."

The funeral of Moqaddam and the other 16 people killed in the blast is scheduled for Monday morning.

Moqaddam, according to the obituary, was one of the "cornerstones" of the artillery and missile units at the Revolutionary Guards during the Iran-Iraq war. "We will continue in his path and in the paths of the rest of the shahids – a path of courage, advancement and growing deterrence of the regime and the Islamic homeland," the obituary read.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4147728,00.html

[azurnoir]

4. Isn't this the second time something like this has happened?

there was also an explosion on a military base in Iran last year in October I think, albeit it was not as large as this one'

I'd bet on an accident

[bemildred]

5. Well, in post #3 they don't blame it on Mossad.

Which is sort of a knee-jerk reaction. so either they are embarrassed to get taken again so soon, or it's a "domestic issue" and they have not thought to use it for propagada yet. I'm guessing something accidently blew up.

[azurnoir]

6. well having it happen twice might be a tag embarrassing to Iran

once is an oops but twice denotes something else could be incompetence

[bemildred]

7. Indeed so. nt

[Scurrilous]

8. Report: Iran blames Israel for deadly blast

Senior Iranian source says deadly explosion at military base outside Tehran that killed 17 people 'part of covert war against Iran, led by Israel'

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4148322,00.html

<snip>

"For the first time since Saturday's deadly blast in a military base outside Tehran that killed 17 people, Iranian sources say that Israel was behind the explosion, which also claimed the life of a senior Revolutionary Guards officer.

According to a report in the Guardian, a source with close links to the Iranian regime said Israel's Mossad was involved in the blast outside Tehran, which rattled windows in Iran's capital Saturday.

The source, who spoke to the Guardian on condition of anonymity and was identified as a former director of a state-run organization, was quoted as saying: "I believe that Saturday's explosion was part of the covert war against Iran, led by Israel."

The ex official said the mysterious explosion was similar to a blast in October 2010 at a Revolutionary Guards missile base located near the city of Khorramabad, the source said.

"I have information that both these incidents were the work of sabotage by agents of Israel, aimed at halting Iran's missile program," the former official was quoted as saying."

[oberliner]

9. Headline is a lie

Story says the opposite.