An Iranian oil refinery experienced a severe fire that led to a series of explosions in the area. The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that the fire devoured 18 reservoirs at the Birjand Special Economic Zone in the east of Iran. Iranian authorities disclosed that in the first stage, the inferno devoured 1.5 million liters of fuel.
A large-scale fire at an oil refinery in Iran, in the city of Birjand đ pic.twitter.com/YGPyeWFE3u
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) December 10, 2023
According to the Jerusalem Post, Iranian officials tilted toward a strategic decision of allowing the wildfire to follow its own course as it was too dangerous for firefighters to fight the fire due to the intensity of the flames. Where the fire originated remains unclear, and no evidence has been found to determine if it was an accident or deliberately set.
At this point, Iran has avoided accusing anyone, leaving investigators to look into the intricate details of the incident. However, the damage caused by the fire cost millions and happened when concerns had already been raised about Iranian-backed activities in Yemen.
These institutions have carried out ferocious raids against Israeli ships in recent weeks and months, with one of the ships getting hijacked. This planned-out campaign casts doubt on the intentions behind these seaborne raids and could destabilize the region.
To this end, the Houthi terrorists in Yemen said they were preparing for more attacks on ships destined for Israel in response to Israelâs military operations against Hamas terrorist forces in Gaza. Yahya Sareâe, a spokesperson for Houthi said, âIt will be impossible to sail all the ships from any country towards the Zionist entity.
In this conflict between the Israelis and Hamas, the Iran-aligned group has seized Israeli-linked ships, ballistic missiles, and armed drones against Israel, and supports Palestinians. Israel describes these actions as âIranian terrorism.â
Other recent cases include those in which commercial vessels were assaulted in international waters, leading to U.S. Navy interference. The âAxis of Resistanceâ controls a large part of Yemen and its Red Sea coast, capturing a British cargo ship with suspected links to Israel in July. The U.S. Navy is advised to exercise caution in responding to the incidents in Saudi Arabia.
These ships will become a legitimate target of our armed forces if the food and medicine do not reach the Gaza Strip. The spokesperson for the Houthi further warned that any ship headed to Israel or associated with Israel would be attacked by the group.
The tense situation demonstrates the need for a detailed picture of the interlinked occurrences that impact the region and possibly pose a threat to world safety.
