Explosions reported near military-linked sites in Tehran and surrounding areas

Blasts and air activity were heard in several Iranian provinces on Saturday, according to eyewitness accounts sent to Iran International.

A heavy explosion was reported at 1:15 p.m. in the Tehranpars area in eastern Tehran, with the blast shaking windows and glass.

Fighter jet sounds were heard at 1:00 p.m. in Chaboksar, in Gilan province in the north.

In Bushehr, in southern Iran, an area near the sixth tactical air base was targeted in an airstrike at about 2:00 p.m.

Bam, in Kerman province in southeastern Iran, was also reported to have been targeted at 11:00 a.m., with air defense activity heard again at around 1:00 p.m.

Explosions, missile strikes, and other military activity were reported across several Iranian cities on Saturday, according to eyewitness accounts sent to Iran International.

The capital Tehran saw a series of strikes overnight. A government building in the Tochal-Velenjak area was hit and destroyed at 1:10 a.m. Several heavy explosions were also heard in Hakimiyeh between midnight and 1 a.m.

Multiple blasts and bright flashes were then reported in Lavizan at 1:04 a.m. An explosion was reported on the Simon Bolivar street at 2 a.m., and at about 3 a.m. the satellite research center at Iran University of Science and Technology was hit, with the blast wave damaging nearby buildings.

Several explosions were also heard at 2:03 a.m. in Shahin Vila in Karaj, west of Tehran.

In central Iran, a heavy explosion was reported at 1:35 a.m. at an army artillery site in Isfahan.

Further west, a missile struck in Borujerd, a city in Lorestan province, at 4 a.m.

In the southwest, multiple missile launches were reported from Shadgan in Khuzestan province.

Later on Saturday, warplanes and an explosion were heard near Mount Derak in Shiraz, in southern Iran, while several warplanes were reported flying at low altitude over Hamedan in the west at 11:46 a.m.

More than 40 explosions were heard across Isfahan early on Saturday and parts of an artillery facility on Artesh Street were hit, according to eyewitness accounts sent to Iran International.

Widespread attacks and multiple explosions were reported across the city from about 1:30 a.m.

At least two fighter jets were heard at 1:40 a.m., followed by several heavy explosions in different areas, including the southwest of the city.

Targets in military areas in Farahabad were hit at about 2:10 a.m., with aircraft reported flying at low altitude.

In Shahreza, south of Isfahan, fighter jets were heard at about 6:30 a.m., followed by an explosion and black smoke rising near the Tharallah military base.

Accounts from multiple cities describe a pattern of increased checkpoints, armed deployments and organized nightly gatherings, with many residents saying the measures appear aimed at controlling the population rather than addressing external threats.

Witnesses said checkpoints have been set up across urban areas, often staffed by masked security personnel and Basij volunteers, some described as very young.

Vehicles carrying heavy weapons, including machine guns, have been stationed at major intersections, with officers pointing weapons toward passing cars.

“Many of them are very young, some as young as teenagers,” one resident said, adding that “the feeling for me and many others is fear.”

Residents said the checkpoints have disrupted daily life, causing heavy traffic and repeated stops. Some described being questioned without clear cause, while others said their phones were searched.

“It feels like they are looking for any small excuse to harass people or even arrest them,” a resident said.

Reports of such measures have come not only from major cities but also smaller towns, where residents described patrol vehicles moving through streets with mounted weapons.

In one account, security forces were said to require drivers to turn off their headlights when entering checkpoints.

Nightly pro-government rallies

Alongside the security presence, residents reported nightly pro-government gatherings in many cities, often involving convoys of vehicles, loudspeakers and armed escorts.

In several locations, groups of supporters were seen moving through streets broadcasting slogans such as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” while others chanted religious slogans at high volume.

Residents said the gatherings often continued late into the night or early morning hours.

“These gatherings create more anger than fear,” one resident said, adding that even small groups were accompanied by armed personnel.

Others described loudspeakers mounted on vehicles or in neighborhoods broadcasting chants and songs through the night. “They disrupt the entire neighborhood,” a resident said, describing noise that continued into the early hours.

Some residents said the gatherings included participants wearing symbolic clothing and issuing verbal threats, while others reported that passing cars were stopped and checked if occupants were seen using mobile phones.

Across multiple accounts, residents described the measures as coordinated and sustained over recent weeks, coinciding with intensified military activity in the region.

“There is a clear pattern in how these actions are carried out at night,” one source said, adding that the focus appeared to be on “creating fear and preventing any form of protest.”

While state media has highlighted military activity and messaging around national defense, residents said their primary concerns remain daily living conditions and personal safety.

“We are struggling to get by,” one resident said. “People are worried about their lives, not these displays.”

Several locations across Iran were targeted early on Wednesday, with explosions and missile sounds reported in multiple cities, according to eyewitness accounts sent to Iran International.

In southwestern Iran, an explosion was heard around 5:00 a.m. near Andimeshk. In southeastern Iran, the sound of fighter jets and missile fire was reported at about 5:30 a.m. in Chabahar.

Witnesses also reported that several locations in Nowshahr, on Iran’s Caspian coast, were targeted. In Tehran, a building in the eastern part of the capital was reportedly hit at 2:12 a.m.

In southern Iran, a witness said three missiles were launched at about 1:00 a.m. from a missile site in Larestan, in Fars province, toward the west or southwest.