Explosions are putting Iranian leaders on spot

The Washington Post

TEHRAN — A huge blast at a missile base operated by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps nearly two weeks ago was the latest in a series of mysterious incidents involving explosions in the country's natural gas transport facilities, oil refineries and military bases — blasts that have caused dozens of deaths and damage in the past two years.

The Nov. 12 explosion on the Shahid Modarres base was so powerful that it shook the capital, Tehran, about 30 miles to the east.

Tehran has said it was an accident and played down rumors that it was caused by sabotage organized by the United States or its allies, but suspicions have been raised, in part because there has been a fivefold increase in explosions at refineries and gas pipelines since 2010.

Explaining the increased number of "industrial incidents" is proving to be a predicament for Iranian officials, who do not want to appear vulnerable at a time when Israeli leaders have been debating military intervention against Iran over its nuclear program.

Officials have blamed deficiencies such as "bad welding" or "substandard manufacturing." One oil expert said that increasingly strict sanctions prohibiting Western companies from maintaining installations in Iran could be causing problems.

"Many projects are finished by Iranian companies without observing safety standards," said Reza Zandi, an Iranian journalist who specializes in energy issues.

At least 17 gas pipeline explosions have been reported since last year, compared with three in 2008 and 2009. At the same time, nearly a dozen major explosions have damaged refineries since 2010.

Suspicions that covert action against Iran's nuclear ambitions might be under way were raised when four key gas pipelines exploded simultaneously in different locations in Qom Province in April. Lawmaker Parviz Sorouri told the semiofficial Mehr News Agency that the blasts were the work of "terrorists" and were "organized by the enemies of the Islamic Republic."

Iran's parliament launched an investigation into the blast at the missile site but did not issue any findings. One lawmaker, Mohammad Kazem Hejazi, said revealing such information might give away secrets to the "enemy," the Iranian Labor News Agency reported Tuesday.

"We are not ruling out sabotage in the Malard missile base," said one source close to the Revolutionary Guards, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. "It is not impossible to bribe a single person into doing something bad."

In May, Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi announced the arrest of 30 "CIA spies" who he said had been recruited to map out Iran's energy infrastructure.

"One of their main objectives was carrying out sabotage activities," Moslehi said.