FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of the Iranian shores and Port of Bandar Abbas within the strait of Hormuz.
Nicolas Economou | Reuters
No less than one particular person was killed and 14 others injured in an explosion within the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, a neighborhood official instructed Iranian information businesses, however the reason for the blast was not recognized.
The semi-official Tasnim information company mentioned that social media studies alleging {that a} Revolutionary Guard navy commander had been focused within the explosion had been “fully false.”
Iranian media mentioned the blast was underneath investigation however offered no additional info. Iranian authorities couldn’t instantly be contacted for remark.
Individually, 4 individuals had been killed after a gasoline explosion within the metropolis of Ahvaz close to the Iraqi border, based on state-run Tehran Occasions. No additional info was instantly accessible.
Two Israeli officers instructed Reuters that Israel was not concerned in Saturday’s blasts, which got here amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests and over the nation’s nuclear programme.
The Pentagon didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned on Jan. 22 that an “armada” was heading towards Iran. A number of sources mentioned on Friday that Trump was weighing choices towards Iran that embrace focused strikes on safety forces.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused U.S., Israeli and European leaders of exploiting Iran’s financial issues, inciting unrest and offering individuals with the means to “tear the nation aside.”
Bandar Abbas, house to Iran’s most essential container port, lies on the Strait of Hormuz, a significant waterway between Iran and Oman, which handles a few fifth of the world’s seaborne oil.
The port suffered a serious explosion final April that killed dozens and injured over 1,000 individuals. An investigative committee on the time blamed the blast on shortcomings in adherence to ideas of civil defence and safety.
Iran has been rocked by nationwide protests that erupted in December over financial hardship and have posed one of many hardest challenges to the nation’s clerical rulers.
No less than 5,000 individuals had been killed within the protests, together with 500 members of the safety forces, an Iranian official instructed Reuters.
— This can be a growing story. Please test again for particulars.
