Explosions were heard on Saturday evening on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz and in the southern Iranian port of Jask, Iranian state media reported. Reports of sounds of explosions also came from Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported two explosions in the eastern part of Qeshm Island, while residents said they had heard blasts in the Jask area as well. The cause remains unclear. Iranian officials have not confirmed missile strikes on these locations.
State television suggested that the sounds may have been connected to „Iranian military activities“ to protect the Strait of Hormuz. The semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted a source as saying that the explosions on Qeshm were not caused by missile strikes.
The reports came amid another incident in the strategic waterway. The naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that two oil tankers had caught fire after hitting mines while attempting to pass along an „unauthorized route“. There is no confirmation so far that this incident is related to the sounds of the explosions.
Earlier in the day, Tasnim reported two missile strikes on Qeshm Island, but provided no official information about possible damage. Iranian media have not reported any confirmed casualties or destruction resulting from the explosions.
Qeshm is located near the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world’s maritime oil transport passes. The area has been under heightened tension following a series of attacks on commercial vessels and limited US strikes on the island in recent days.
As of the latest reports, no official explanation has been issued for the origin of the explosions, nor has it been confirmed whether they resulted from military action, an accident or another cause.
Sources: internazionale.it, apnews.com, aljazeera.com