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In Iran, Not Everything that Goes Boom in the Night Is Sabotage
(Atlantic Council) Dr. Raz Zimmt - The recent series of unusual events in different locations around Iran has received growing interest from the media, but not every explosion or fire is the result of foreign subterfuge. Recent research by Tiziana Corda at the University of Milan revealed that such events frequently occur in Iran. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency's archive, there were at least 97 fires or explosions between mid-May 2019 and the end of July 2019 in power plants, factories, hospitals, research centers, naval vessels, and arms depots. At least some of the recent events are clearly related to the dismal condition of Iran's infrastructure, which is a result of lackluster maintenance, negligent management, and human error. The writer is a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) specializing in Iran.