A large explosion occurred east of Tehran, Iran, late Thursday night, but it remains unclear what caused the event.
Saudi outlet Al Arabiya reported that the explosion took place at a military base east of Tehran; however, speculation surrounding the incident has run rampant, with some claiming that the explosion was the result of a power plant outage or a munitions disposal gone wrong.
Early reports from the area also claimed Parchin, a military base “where Iran has conducted nuclear activity” was the site of the blast, according to New York Times reporter Farnaz Fassihi.
Tehran-based Mehr News Agency reported that it heard a “terrible sound” and believed the bright light in the sky was related to the noise.
Local footage shows the night sky lighting up from the explosions in the distance.
Unknown cause of an explosion in #Tehran being reported this evening. #Iran pic.twitter.com/jtykImFQme
— Joe Truzman (@Jtruzmah) June 25, 2020
Another perspective of the incident was later posted by analyst Joe Truzman.
Closer view of explosion that occurred this evening in #Tehran, #Iran. pic.twitter.com/kDIXLT3dVa
— Joe Truzman (@Jtruzmah) June 25, 2020
It remains unclear whether any injuries or fatalities were associated with the explosion.
Iranian authorities are currently investigating the bright light and loud noise, according to Reuters, which cited state TV.