Fire rips through three ships near Iran’s only nuclear power plant

A fire which ripped through at least three ships in southern Iran today is the latest in a string of blazes and explosions all over the country including one at a uranium facility.

It is not clear how the ships caught ablaze in Bushehr port, or whether they were military vessels.

The port is just 20 minutes away from Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant – Iran’s only facility of its kind.

The plant was developed by Russia and Iran as part of a joint nuclear cooperation agreement. 

The fire comes amid a string of explosions across Iran – many of which authorities have brushed off as unfortunate accidents.  

Experts fear Israel and the US could be behind the attacks and have questioned whether Iranian cyber security breaches could be to blame. 

A fire has ripped through at least three ships in southern Iran today amid a string of blazes and blasts in the country – including one at a nuclear facility

It is not clear how the ships caught ablaze in Bushehr port (smoke pictured), or whether they were military vessels

It is not clear how the ships caught ablaze in Bushehr port (smoke pictured), or whether they were military vessels

The port in which the ships caught on fire (pictured) is just 20 minutes away from Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant - Iran's only facility of its kind

The port in which the ships caught on fire (pictured) is just 20 minutes away from Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant – Iran’s only facility of its kind

The fire is the latest in a series of blazes and explosions across Iran - many of which authorities have brushed off as unfortunate accidents

The fire is the latest in a series of blazes and explosions across Iran – many of which authorities have brushed off as unfortunate accidents 

Policy Director of United Against Nuclear Iran Jason Brodsky told Fox News: ‘There is evidence of a concerted campaign underway to thwart Iran’s nuclear program.’

Cyber-intelligence expert and CEO of TrustedSec David Kennedy added: ‘Although many are asking the question, was this a cyber-attack or physical sabotage, the answer could be “both.” 

‘The most likely suspects are the US and Israel working in tandem.’

It follows an embarrassing blunder last week in which Iranian media quoted a former mayor who dismissed a blast on Friday as ‘explosion at a factory making gas cylinders’.

But other media outlets quickly discovered the mayor in question had been dead for over a year.

Other reports said the explosion actually occurred at a missile and chemical warehouse and the blast injured 11.

A fire broke out on July 4 at the Zergan power plant (pictured) in the city of Ahvaz in southwestern Iran

A fire broke out on July 4 at the Zergan power plant (pictured) in the city of Ahvaz in southwestern Iran

The fire in Ahvaz affected one of the station's transformers and caused partial electricity outages before it was put out and electricity was restored

The fire in Ahvaz affected one of the station’s transformers and caused partial electricity outages before it was put out and electricity was restored

On July 2, a fire and an explosion occurred at Natanz uranium enrichment plant (pictured) which develops centrifuges. These are needed to make uranium - and other nuclear weapons

On July 2, a fire and an explosion occurred at Natanz uranium enrichment plant (pictured) which develops centrifuges. These are needed to make uranium – and other nuclear weapons

The Natanz complex is mostly underground and is among the sites now monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency after Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers

The Natanz complex is mostly underground and is among the sites now monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency after Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers

A gas leak at a medical clinic caused an explosion killing 19 and injuring six on June 30

Pictured: First responders carry away an injured person on a stretcher at the scene of an explosion at the Sina At'har health centre in Tehran

Pictured: First responders carry away an injured person on a stretcher at the scene of an explosion at the Sina At’har health centre in Tehran

Tehran Deputy Governor Hamid Reza Goudarzi told state television that blast at the centre (pictured) was triggered by a gas leak

The fire department said gas canisters caught fire in the clinic's basement

Tehran Deputy Governor Hamid Reza Goudarzi told state television that blast at the centre (pictured) was triggered by a gas leak. The fire department said gas canisters caught fire in the clinic’s basement

It started on June 26 when a factory making cruise missiles and another producing ammunition were hit in Khojir, Tehran, local media reported.   

This was then followed by a gas leak at a medical clinic which caused an explosion killing 19 and injuring six on June 30.

Tehran Deputy Governor Hamid Reza Goudarzi told state television that blast was triggered by a gas leak. The fire department said gas canisters caught fire in the clinic’s basement.

Then on July 2, a fire and an explosion occurred at Natanz uranium enrichment plant which develops centrifuges. These are needed to make uranium – and other nuclear weapons.

Power outages then occurred when a fire broke out at a power plant in Shiraz  

A fire then broke out on July 4 at the Zergan power plant in the city of Ahvaz in southwestern Iran.

The blaze caused a transformer in the station to explode and ignite the plant – which in turn caused partial electricity outages before it was put out.

Another fire was reported on Sunday at a facility belonging to the Shahid Tondgooyan Petrochemical Company in southwest Iran – but was quickly contained. 

The fire was caused by an oil leak but did not lead to any casualties, Mohsen Beyranvand, the governor of Mahshahr county said, according to IRNA.

This fire occurred shortly after the explosion in the basement of a home in Tehran, injuring one person.

The Tehran Fire Department quickly jumped in to say the explosion – which caused power outages – occurred in two-storey house’s basement which contained around 30 gas cylinders, The Jerusalem Post reports.

They implied that the injured person worked with the cylinders  and this caused the blast to occur. 

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