A massive explosion killed at least five workers at the giant Pardis petrochemicals complex in southern Iran Wednesday, August 4, at around 12:30 - just about the time an explosive device was hurled at Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as his heavily secured armored convoy drove through the northern Iranian city of Hamadan. This is reported by DEBKAfile's Iranian sources.
Ahmadinejad, who was unhurt, inaugurated the plant on July 28.
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DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis
By its cross-border sniper attack on Israeli forces Tuesday, Aug. 3, and provoking a major clash, the Lebanese Army laid down a new fact of life in the Middle East: The next war against Israel will be fought - not by the Hizballah militia, but by the Lebanese army. Its mission has been merged with the radical objectives of the Iran-backed terrorist group.
Hizballah's Nasrallah indicated his rockets and missiles would be available for the next round.
DEBKAfile Special Report
Tuesday, Aug. 3, in a heavy exchange of cross-border fire, Lt. Col. Dov Harari, 45, from Netanya, battalion commander of the eastern Israel-Lebanese border sector, was killed on Israeli soil in what Gen. Gady Eisencott, OC Northern Command, called an unprovoked "sniper ambush" set by the Lebanese army.
Lebanon reported three soldiers and one civilian killed in heavy Israeli retaliation.
Israel has complained to the UN.
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
Lebanese troops opened fire on Israeli troops Tuesday, Aug. 3. Israeli tanks returned the fire. Both deployed helicopters. DEBKAfile reported earlier that Syrian President Bashar Assad has jilted Hizballah's Hassan Nasrallah and switched his support to the Sunni Prime Minister Saad Hariri in a deal with Saudi King Abdullah. With Assad it is hard to tell if he has really changed direction or pursuing a temporary gambit. Israel is taking a violent Hizballah response into account.
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