Bandar Abbas, Iran. At least one person was killed and 14 injured in an explosion in the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, Iranian news agencies cited a local official as saying. The cause of the blast was not immediately known.
Bandar Abbas blast and initial reports
The semi-official Tasnim news agency said social media reports alleging that a Revolutionary Guard navy commander had been targeted were “completely false”. Iranian media said the blast was under investigation but provided no further information, and Iranian authorities could not immediately be contacted for comment.
Separate gas explosion in Ahvaz
In a separate incident, four people were killed after a gas explosion in the city of Ahvaz near the Iraqi border, according to the state-run Tehran Times. No further information was immediately available.
Israel and US responses amid tensions
Two Israeli officials told Reuters that Israel was not involved in Saturday’s blasts. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US President Donald Trump said on January 22 that an “armada” was heading toward Iran. Multiple sources said on Friday that Trump was weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused US, Israeli and European leaders of exploiting Iran’s economic problems, inciting unrest and providing people with the means to “tear the nation apart”.
Strategic location and prior port explosion
Bandar Abbas, home to Iran’s most important container port, lies on the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway between Iran and Oman that handles about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil.
The port suffered a major explosion last April that killed dozens and injured more than 1,000 people. An investigative committee at the time blamed the blast on shortcomings in adherence to principles of civil defence and security.
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