At least seven ships have caught fire at the Iranian port of Bushehr, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday, in what appeared to be the latest in a series of unexplained incidents around nuclear and industrial installations since late June.
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No casualties have been reported, the agency said.
According to the Iranian Mehr agency on Wednesday, the fire started near the northern installations of the city's port. Pictures from the incident showed a large pillar of smoke billowing from the area.
The agency said that "many firefighting crews are in the area to stop the blaze from spreading." Social media users expressed concern that the residents of Bushehr may be threatened if the fire expands further.
The city houses Iran's nuclear reactor, which has been ostensibly for peaceful purposes only.
There have been several explosions and fires around Iranian military, nuclear and industrial facilities since late June, including in Natanz, where its main uranium enrichment center was badly damaged in what the New York Times described as a deliberate effort by the US and Israel.
Natanz is the centerpiece of Iran's enrichment program, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes. Western intelligence agencies and international inspectors believe it had a coordinated, clandestine nuclear arms program at least until 2003. Tehran denies ever seeking nuclear weapons.
Iran's top security body said on July 3 that the cause of the Natanz fire had been determined but would be announced at a later time. Some Iranian officials have said it may have been cyber sabotage and one of them warned that Tehran would retaliate against any country carrying out such attacks.
In an article in early July, state news agency IRNA addressed what it called the possibility of sabotage by enemies such as Israel and the United States, although it stopped short of accusing either directly.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on July 5 that Israel was not "necessarily" behind every mysterious incident in Iran.
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