Iranian media reported on Saturday that an explosion occurred at Bandar Abbas port in southern Iran, but did not specify the cause of the explosion.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency said social media reports that the Revolutionary Guards’ naval commander was the target of the explosion were “completely false.”
Iranian media said the explosion was under investigation but gave no further information. There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities.
Bandar Abbas Port is located on the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway between Iran and Oman that handles about one-fifth of the world’s offshore oil.
The reported explosions came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States after Iranian authorities crushed the biggest protests that have thrown the country into turmoil in three years, and amid continued concerns in the West about Iran’s nuclear program.
Nationwide protests erupted in December over economic hardship, posing one of the toughest challenges for the country’s clerical rulers.
Iranian officials told Reuters that at least 5,000 people, including 500 members of the security forces, had been killed in the protests.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that an “armada” was heading toward Iran. Sources said Friday that President Trump is considering options against Iran, including targeted attacks on security forces.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused U.S., Israeli and European leaders of exploiting Iran’s economic problems, stoking unrest and providing the people with the means to “tear the country apart.”
–This is a developing story. Please check back for details.
