Amid rising hypothesis of a possible US army strike on Iran tied to stalled nuclear negotiations, tensions within the area look like intensifying. A serious explosion struck Shahriar in Tehran Province, with native experiences indicating that amenities storing ammunition and army gas, allegedly linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), could have been focused.
Footage being shared on-line reveals a big blast sending thick smoke into the sky. The extent of the harm and the reason for the explosion stay unsure, and authorities haven’t launched official casualty figures. Emergency responders are reportedly on the scene.
#BREAKING : A robust explosion has been reported in Shahriar, #Tehran Province in #Iran, loud blasts heard and movies circulating on-line of the influence.
Reviews recommend the blast occurred close to army depot areas, although particulars are nonetheless rising.
Scenario… pic.twitter.com/ylnz3eM05t
— RX (@TheReal_RX) February 18, 2026
In a separate growth, one other explosion was reportedly heard in Shiraz province. Particulars surrounding that incident stay unclear, and officers haven’t decided its trigger.
BREAKING
Iranians report an explosion in a mountainous space close to town of Shiraz in southern Iran, marking what native sources describe because the thirteenth unexplained blast recorded within the nation because the begin of the month. pic.twitter.com/oADQbG2Ep1
— faiyaz brohi (@FaiyazB) February 18, 2026
US-Iran rising stress
This growth comes amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington. In line with a report by Axios citing sources acquainted with the matter, the USA could possibly be transferring nearer to a broader army confrontation with Iran. The report urged that any potential US motion could take the type of a sustained, weeks-long marketing campaign fairly than a brief, focused strike, and will contain coordination with Israel, probably on a scale exceeding final 12 months’s 12-day battle.
Heightened army presence round Iran
In the meantime, Washington has elevated strain on Tehran whereas increasing its army presence within the area. The reported buildup consists of two plane provider strike teams, the USS Abraham Lincoln, already deployed, and the USS Gerald R. Ford, presently en route, supported by greater than a dozen warships working within the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.
As well as, over 50 fighter plane, together with F-22s, F-35s, and F-16s, have lately been deployed to strengthen present air property. Superior air protection programs similar to THAAD and Patriot missile batteries have additionally been positioned within the area, underscoring the heightened state of preparedness. Moreover, over 250 C-17 sorties have hauled munitions since January, signaling deep readiness.
Background: The 2015 nuclear deal collapse
The present tensions are rooted within the collapse of the 2015 Joint Complete Plan of Motion (JCPOA), signed between Iran and world powers, together with the USA. Beneath the deal, Tehran restricted uranium enrichment to three.67 % and diminished its stockpile to 300 kilograms. The settlement collapsed in 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the US, setting off years of escalating confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
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