Reports are emerging of a possible attack on a military facility in the city of Karaj on Thursday night, at a moment tensions are boiling between Tehran and Israel over the Islamic Republic's advancing nuclear program.
The BBC’s Persian-language service reported that widespread gunshots and explosions were observed in the area, which lies just west of the Iranian capital. Anti-aircraft fire was also seen in multiple circulating clips, which remain unverified.
Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency tweeted a video describing military training in the area.
Israeli media has also picked up on the claims of an attack, while noting that a key nuclear facility is located in Karaj. As The Jerusalem Post recounts:
Defense facilities in and near Karaj have been targeted by attacks repeatedly in recent years.
In July 2021, Iran blamed Israel for a sabotage operation that targeted a building belonging to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) in Karaj the month before.
One journalist and observer of the region described that "An unofficial report circulating online says that a depot of IR-6 centrifuges in Kondar village, 24 km from Karaj, Alborz province, was targeted Thursday night." However, there's no independent confirmation of this, despite the widely circulating videos.
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