Iran Officials: No Casualties From Reported Tehran Explosion

TEHRAN, Iran — According to the official IRNA news agency, an explosion reported early Saturday in a public park near state television headquarters in Tehran caused no casualties or damage.

General Hamid Hodavand, Tehran’s deputy police commander, said the matter was still being investigated and that further information will be released later. He said that foreign news channels had exaggerated the supposed explosion.

At 12:52 a.m., Iranian media reported an explosion in northern Tehran, which was followed by hundreds of social media posts.

Later, state television showed deputy Tehran governor Ali Reza Goudarzi standing in front of Mellat Park, claiming that rescuers, firemen, and police had discovered no evidence of an explosion, fire, or damage in the region.

The Iranian media has occasionally reported on flash-bang grenades bursting without providing specifics. Those grenades are made to make a loud noise and a flash of light while causing minimal damage.

The 34-hectare (84-acre) park lies on the southern side of the state broadcasting company’s 120-hectare (295-acre) property, which contains many structures.