One dead, 14 injured in blast at Iranian port of Bandar Abbas

BANDAR ABBAS: At least one person was killed and 14 others injured in an explosion at the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, Iranian media reported. The cause of the blast has not yet been confirmed, and investigations are ongoing.

The semi-official Tasnim News Agency dismissed social media claims that a Revolutionary Guard naval commander was targeted, calling the reports “completely false.” Iranian authorities have not provided further details.

Separately, a gas explosion in the city of Ahvaz, near the Iraqi border, killed four people, according to state-run Tehran Times.

Two Israeli officials told Reuters that Israel was not involved in the blasts, which come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests and its nuclear programme. The Pentagon has not commented on the incident.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump said an “armada” was heading toward Iran, and reports suggest options under consideration include targeted strikes on Iranian security forces. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the U.S., Israel, and European nations of exploiting Iran’s economic difficulties, inciting unrest, and supporting attempts to destabilise the country.

Bandar Abbas is home to Iran’s largest container port and lies on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which nearly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes. The port suffered a major explosion in April last year, killing dozens and injuring over 1,000 people.

Iran has been facing nationwide protests since December, triggered by economic hardships. According to Iranian officials, at least 5,000 people have died, including 500 security personnel, during the unrest.