Mystery Iran Blast More Devastating Than Reported

The mysterious explosion at an Iranian military base west of Tehran earlier this month was far more devastating than initially reported, reports the New York Times. Satellite images of the site reveal destruction across a sprawling complex of some dozen buildings. “It was pretty amazing to see that the entire facility was destroyed,” said the author of a report by the private Institute for Science and International Security. “There were only a few buildings left standing." The explosion killed at least 17 servicemen. Iran's military chief of staff said that the blast occurred while researchers were working on weapons capable of delivering a “strong punch in the mouth" to Israel. ISIS experts believe the explosion occurred during a "volatile procedure" involving a new missile. (More Iran stories.)