Conflicting Reports of a 'Terrifying Sound' in Khorramabad; Islamic Republic: 'It Was Not an Explosion; It Was a Minor Earthquake'

Last night, with the hearing of a 'terrifying sound' and strong tremors in Khorramabad, conflicting narratives and speculations about its source intensified in the media, with some attributing it to an 'explosion resulting from sabotage operations' at military units in the area. This was quickly denied by officials of the Islamic Republic. The news agency 'Mehr' reported that people initially thought an earthquake caused the sound and tremors, but since the Geophysics Center of Tehran University did not announce any earthquake on its website, this led to the idea of an explosion becoming more prominent in people's minds. Mehdi Pazouki, the director of crisis management in Lorestan province, stated that at 10 PM on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, a sound similar to an explosion was heard in some areas of Khorramabad, and no reports of damage in various parts of the city have been reported so far. Pazouki also denied the occurrence of an earthquake in Khorramabad, saying, 'The occurrence of an earthquake is not true, but the source of the terrifying sound has not yet been found, and no explosion or damage has been reported so far.' At the same time, the news agency 'Tasnim' quoted Ehsan Yavari, the political-security deputy of Lorestan's governor, denying the 'explosion' narrative regarding the sound and tremors felt in Khorramabad, stating that 'the matter is currently under investigation.' Following the confirmations and denials, the head of the information base of the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University later stated that the reason for the ground shaking last night in Khorramabad was an earthquake with a magnitude of 2. Iraj Rouhi explained the 'feeling of a minor earthquake' by saying that 'usually small earthquakes are not felt, but when small earthquakes occur at shallow depths, people feel them.' Meanwhile, the representative of Khorramabad in Parliament told the 'Didban Iran' website regarding the heard explosion that 'it was nothing special. People heard a sound, but nothing significant has been found yet.' Mehrdad Veys Karami stated about the cause of the terrifying sound and tremors felt in Khorramabad that 'we are unaware of its source.' Last week, an explosive sound was heard in the center of the city of Gorgan, and parts initially reported as drone pieces were found in various parts of the city. After hours of conflicting news, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Defense confirmed that the explosion was due to 'deviation from the main path' of a test missile. One person was killed and four injured due to an explosion at the Bandar Abbas oil refinery. An explosion occurred at a metal melting factory in Qom; 21 workers were injured. After several conflicting narratives were published, the Ministry of Defense stated: the explosion in Gorgan was not from a drone; it was a missile fall.