The Kabul Tribune (KT) — An explosion in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas killed one person and wounded 14 others on Saturday, Iranian media reported, according to Reuters. Local officials said the cause of the blast was still under investigation.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency dismissed social media claims that a Revolutionary Guard navy commander had been targeted, calling the reports “completely false,” Reuters reported.
Authorities released no additional details, and officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
In a separate incident, a gas explosion in the southwestern city of Ahvaz killed four people, the state-run Tehran Times reported. No further information was available.
Two Israeli officials told Reuters that Israel was not involved in either explosion. The incidents came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests and disputes over its nuclear program.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that an “armada” was heading toward Iran, and multiple sources told Reuters the president was weighing potential targeted strikes on Iranian security forces.
Earlier Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States, Israel and European nations of exploiting Iran’s economic difficulties, stirring unrest and helping people “tear the nation apart.”
Bandar Abbas, located along the Strait of Hormuz — a strategic chokepoint for global oil shipments — is home to Iran’s most important container port. The port experienced a major explosion last April that killed dozens and injured more than 1,000 people. An investigative committee later blamed lapses in civil defense and security procedures.
Iran has faced months of nationwide protests that erupted in December over economic hardship. At least 5,000 people were killed, including about 500 security personnel, an Iranian official told Reuters.
