An explosion at a factory in Isfahan, central Iran, killed at least two workers and injured two others on Tuesday morning, adding to growing concerns about the safety and oversight of sensitive facilities following last week’s catastrophic blast at Bandar Abbas.
The blast occurred around 10:30 a.m. local time at the Ava Nar Parsian plant in the Meymeh district of Isfahan Province. According to Mansour Shishehforoush, Director-General of Crisis Management in Isfahan, “the explosion at Ava Nar Parsian’s warehouse resulted in one person dying immediately at the scene and another succumbing to injuries during transport to the hospital,” while a third worker suffered burn injuries and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, but local officials confirmed that the incident inflicted damage on the warehouse’s roof and structural frame. “Emergency and Red Crescent teams were dispatched immediately, and the situation is now under control,” Shishehforoush said in remarks to Mehr News Agency.
🚨 Exclusive #Thread : Catastrophic explosions at #Iran’s Bandar Abbas Rajaei Port (#BandarAbbasExplosion) on April 26–27 devastated the area.
Eyewitnesses told #en_simayazadi: "the regime censors the truth; the port has turned into a graveyard."pic.twitter.com/OPlphebcUd— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) April 28, 2025
According to its website, Ava Nar Parsian describes itself as a manufacturer of fireworks and industrial gunpowder, boasting international certifications and exports to Iraq and Oman. The company emphasizes its civilian role in improving public safety during national celebrations.
Official corporate records on third-party websites show that Damoun Beheshtnejad serves as Chairman of the Board at Ava Nar Parsian, the fireworks and gunpowder manufacturing company where the recent explosion occurred. Public contact information also lists Beheshtnejad as a representative for Nar Gostar Sepahan, a chemical manufacturing company in Isfahan that experienced a major explosion in 2021.
At that time, The Guardian reported ties between the Nar Gostar Sepahan site and Tehran’s drone program, a key concern for Western and regional security experts.
Notably, a Google search shows that Beheshtnejad’s name appeared in the cached preview of Ava Nar Parsian’s official contact page, though it no longer appears on the live site — suggesting it was recently removed or altered.
#BandarAbbas Explosion Reveals #Iranian Regime's Priorities: Survival Over Accountabilityhttps://t.co/1EMBYFULAS
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 28, 2025
The blast in Isfahan comes just four days after a devastating explosion at Bandar Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, where officials now report dozens of deaths and more than 1,200 injuries. In that case, questions have mounted over the clandestine handling of hazardous materials — including sodium perchlorate, a chemical used in solid rocket fuel production — amid allegations of mismanagement and lack of transparency by security-affiliated companies.
The back-to-back explosions have heightened scrutiny of the Iranian regime’s sensitive industrial sectors, many of which are intertwined with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other security entities. Analysts believe that the pattern of accidents may signal deeper structural weaknesses, corruption, and risky concealment practices that endanger both workers and civilians, at a time when Iran’s leadership is already under intense domestic and international pressure.