An explosion tore through a diesel hydrotreater at Valero Energy's Port Arthur refinery in Texas on Monday night, triggering a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents and igniting a storm of conspiracy theories about possible Iranian sabotage.
Local officials have attributed the blast to a likely malfunction in an industrial heater, with no injuries reported and the fire quickly brought under control. Yet the timing, amid heightened US-Iran tensions, has prompted intense online speculation about foul play in the Port Arthur refinery explosion.
