The night sky over Karaj, west of Iran's Tehran, turned bright blue, mirroring lightning, reportedly after US and Israeli missiles struck energy infrastructure in the area early Tuesday.
Videos posted to social media showed the blue spark momentarily enveloping the sky after an explosion. Residents in Karaj also reported electricity outages in the aftermath of the strike, as per Iran International.
Additional footage shows intense U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Karaj earlier tonight, producing blue flashes across the sky. pic.twitter.com/zosDxt8Ovd
— World Source News (@Worldsource24) March 9, 2026
The unusual flashes drew attention online, with multiple users suggesting they may have been caused by damage to high-voltage electrical systems.
A user on X wrote, “Such effect in the bomb crater is most likely from an electrical arc flash or plasma discharge from striking a high-voltage facility.”
such effect in the bomb crater is most likely from an electrical arc flash or plasma discharge from striking a high-voltage facility ⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/mFVqDS3C3G
— Fury (@baruchatahh) March 9, 2026
Another said, “Power hub or some type of distribution centre. The blue flash is pretty telling.”
Power hub or some type of distribution center.
— Jason Ludwig (@JasonLud1198) March 9, 2026
The blue flash is pretty telling.
Another wrote, “That looks like an electrical transformer blowing up.”
That looks like an electrical transformer blowing up
— Jagger (@jagger___) March 9, 2026
Similar blue flashes usually occur when major electrical equipment fails or explodes. When high-voltage systems such as transformers or power distribution hubs malfunction, the release of electrical energy produces intense blue or white light.
A comparable incident was reported earlier this year in the US. On January 13, a transformer explosion in Cleveland, Ohio, briefly lit up the night sky with bright blue and white flashes. The blast led to significant power outages across the city's west side, with video showing smoke and flames following the flashes.
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— Core (SatoshiPlus) #BTC, #ETH & #BNB Believers (@corechaincrypto) January 13, 2026
????????Transformer Explosion Sparks Outages on Cleveland's West Side
A reported transformer explosion lit up the night sky in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 13, 2026, leading to major power outages across the city's west side. Video footage captured dramatic… pic.twitter.com/wlJUDiOxrZ
The US and Israel's ongoing war on Iran has entered its 10th day and caused widespread destruction across parts of the West Asian country, particularly around the capital, Tehran. Airstrikes targeted five fuel depots, oil storage facilities and energy infrastructure, resulting in massive explosions and large fires that lit up the city's skyline.
Several oil depots and fuel facilities around Tehran and nearby Karaj were hit, igniting huge fuel tanks and sending towering flames and thick black smoke into the air.
Witnesses described massive fireballs and blast waves as burning petroleum spread across parts of the industrial zones, creating scenes some compared to “rivers of fire.”
The burning oil produced dense clouds of soot-filled smoke that spread across the city. Residents reported the sky turning dark and the air smelling strongly of fuel and chemicals as the fires continued to burn.
In some areas, rain falling through the smoke carried soot and oil particles back to the ground, creating what residents called “black rain.” This can happen when pollutants from burning fuel mix with rain clouds, producing dark, contaminated rainfall.
Close to 1,500 civilians have been killed in the combined US-Israel missile strikes on Iran, the health ministry reported. In Israel, over 10 people have reportedly been killed in Iranian retaliatory strikes.
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