It caused “fear and concern” as residents believed an earthquake had struck.
According to Tasnim, “after a terrible sound was heard at midnight last night, some opposition media and others announced that a terrible explosion had occurred in one of Lorestan's military centers.”
Iranians 'rushed to the streets' in fear
However, Iranian media quickly noted that there had not been an earthquake. Tasnim News even consulted earthquake experts at Tehran University to see if the sound was caused by a tremor. Nevertheless, people reported “strong shocks” from what may have been an explosion underground. People “rushed to the streets” due to fear, Tasnim said.
There is an Iranian missile base near Khorramabad in Iran’s Lorestan province, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative website. The Imam Ali Missile Base is “one of two Iranian silo missile bases.” The NTI report says that former Iranian President Khatami reportedly “ordered the production of 15 Shahab-3 missiles, to be deployed in underground bunkers near Khorramabad.
”The complex is “heavily guarded,” the report says. “One of them a storage facility and the second an operational missile launch facility.” READ MORE
