A massive explosion on Saturday at a military arms depot near the Iranian capital Tehran killed 17 Revolutionary Guards and wounded 15.

A senior Guard commander also died in the explosion. Officials say that the blast was an accident which happened as troops were moving munitions at a base 48 kilometers west of Tehran.

The explosion shook homes and rattled windows, at a time of mounting tension with Israel over Iran's nuclear program. Initial reports said 27 people had been killed but later revisions cut that figure down to 17.