Explosions reported at Iranian ports after U.S. announces strikes
Iranian state media reported blasts and injuries in southern Iran after the U.S. military said it began strikes tied to Hormuz vessel attacks.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
The U.S. military said it had started a series of strikes against Iran after attacks on commercial ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media and local authorities reported explosions in Sirik, Qeshm and Bandar Abbas, putting key southern ports near the center of the latest escalation.
Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster said several people were wounded in Sirik after shrapnel from what it described as an enemy projectile hit a commercial dock. IRIB said the injured were taken to Minab Hospital.
Local authorities and Iranian state television reported at least six blasts on Qeshm Island, where a wharf was said to have been targeted, according to Al Jazeera correspondent Tohid Asadi in Tehran. In Sirik, another port location overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, between seven and nine explosions were reported, with a commercial wharf and a fishing wharf said to have been hit.
In Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest port city, 10 explosions were heard, according to the same reporting. Initial reports cited by Asadi said telecommunications towers and fishing wharves were among the places targeted.
Iran says U.S. violated memorandum
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said the U.S. military operations violated a memorandum of understanding, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting from Tehran. The strikes came shortly after Washington revoked a waiver that had allowed Iran to sell oil under the memorandum signed on June 17, according to a recap of developments reported by Al Jazeera.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson rejected statements about alleged Iranian attacks, calling them questionable accusations, according to Asadi. The spokesperson also said Iran’s authority over the Strait of Hormuz came from the memorandum and that traffic through the waterway should be coordinated with Iran to ensure safe transit.
The U.S. military said it launched the strikes over attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, three ships passing through the strait were hit, including Qatari and Saudi Arabian oil tankers, according to Al Jazeera.
Wider war strains alliances
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized several NATO allies for declining to support Washington during its conflict with Iran, according to Al Jazeera. Speaking as he arrived in Turkiye for a NATO summit, Trump questioned why the United States spends heavily on the alliance if European countries will not back it in the war.
The latest reports came as Iran continued funeral events for slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Al Jazeera reported that Khamenei’s coffin had arrived in Najaf, Iraq, for a funeral procession after ceremonies in Iran.
Elsewhere in the region, Israeli forces killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza, including a child, and wounded 20 others, according to Al Jazeera. The same live coverage also noted Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, but gave no further details in the updates reviewed.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.