TEHRAN – An explosion has struck a large al-Quds Day demonstration in central Tehran, where thousands had gathered in solidarity with Palestinians The incident occurred on Friday amid the fourteenth day of a conflict involving widespread US-Israeli attacks across Iran
Iranian state television reported a large midday explosion in a square filled with demonstrators participating in the annual event The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Al Jazeera Arabic separately reported an air strike metres away from a gathering of protesters, but this has not been independently confirmed as the cause of the explosion felt in the main square
Thousands of people across Iran were participating in the rallies, a significant annual event to protest Israeli policy in Palestine and express support for the Palestinian cause Demonstrators were heard chanting slogans against both Israel and the United States, according to reports
The incident represents a serious development in the ongoing conflict, bringing the violence into a major civilian gathering in the Iranian capital. Details regarding casualties or the precise nature of the explosion have not yet been officially released.
Mohsin Rana
