Free Republic

A large fire broke out Saturday night at a steel factory in the southeast city of Zarand in Iran. It's the latest in a mysterious string of blasts and 'accidental' blazes at sensitive sites to beset the Islamic Republic, raising questions of possible Israel sabotage akin to what happened a year ago in the summer of 2020. "The governor of Zarand told the Iranian Fars News Agency that no injuries were caused in the incident and that the incident was under control," The Jerusalem Post reports. "The incident was reportedly caused by the sudden overflow of molten material in the...

Iran Quake Death Toll Hits 500 February 23, 2005 SARBAGH, Iran — Rescue teams using dogs and heavy machinery pulled more bodies from the ruins of flattened villages in central Iran (search) on Wednesday, raising the death toll from a powerful earthquake to at least 500. The number of dead was expected to climb even higher. Teams were hampered by bad weather and the mountainous terrain, working in a cold, heavy rain after a night in which temperatures dropped below freezing. Mohammad Javad Fadaei, deputy governor of Kerman province (search), said more bodies had been discovered. "The death toll is...