Mysterious fires, alleged cyberattack hint at escalating Israel-Iran shadow war
Amid a shadow war with Israel that appears to be escalating, Iran's foreign minister has said that nuclear negotiations are still possible, but will require overcoming rising "anti-negotiation" sentiment in Iran.
A fire near a hospital in Mashhad in northeast Iran on Thursday is the latest in a string of similar incidents across Iran, unfolding alongside an Iranian cyberattack on Israel and growing internal debate over the future of nuclear diplomacy.
The fire near Mashhad's Qaem Hospital was first reported by Iran's Hamshahri newspaper, which provided no details on whether the blaze had caused injuries or casualties, or how it began. Videos and photos circulating on social media corroborate Hamshahri's report.
Videos sent to Iran International show a fire at Qaem Hospital in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, on Thursday. The fire department said two trees in the hospital yard caught fire and crews were extinguishing the flames. pic.twitter.com/WhNiYrYROR
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) July 31, 2025
Fear of sabotage
On July 14, a fire was reported at the nearby Mashhad Airport. Videos and photos circulated on social media of smoke plumes near the airport. On the same day, the public relations office of Khorasan province's airports announced that the fire and smoke were from a controlled burn of weeds along the runways. No injuries or casualties were reported. On July 19, a fire at Iran's largest oil refinery in Abadan, in the Khuzestan province, killed one worker and injured others. Iran's state news agency, IRNA, said that the fire was caused by a leaky pump at the facility.
