Accessibility links

Breaking News

Iran Buries Key Missile Commander Killed In Blast


Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (center) and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari (center left) pray over the coffins of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps officers killed in the November 12 blast near Tehran.
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (center) and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari (center left) pray over the coffins of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps officers killed in the November 12 blast near Tehran.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has attended the funeral of a senior military officer who was killed in an explosion at an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps arms depot that authorities said was an accident.

Brigadier General Hassab Moqaddam, who died in the November 12 blast along with 16 other Revolutionary Guards, has been described as the "architect" of Iran's missile defenses.

Authorities said the massive blast happened when soldiers were moving munitions at their base west of Tehran. They denied suggestions it may have been sabotage.

The explosion came after the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said it had credible evidence Iran had worked to develop nuclear weapons technology, including deliverability.

In the wake of the explosion, on November 13, the U.S. magazine "Time" -- citing an unidentified "Western intelligence source" -- said that the explosion was the work of the Israeli spy agency Mossad

compiled from Reuters reports

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG