US denies role after blasts are reported in Iran
Iranian outlets reported explosions near Bushehr and other southern areas as tensions with the US and Israel continued to rise.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Explosions were reported in several parts of Iran late Thursday, including near Bushehr, the city that hosts one of the country’s nuclear plants. The reports came as US Central Command denied that American forces had launched any recent strikes inside Iran, a denial that matters amid renewed attacks and a fragile ceasefire.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency said multiple blasts were heard around Bushehr and nearby Choghadak. Mehr also reported three explosions in Konarak, a southern city on the Gulf of Oman.
The agency did not identify the cause of the blasts and gave no figures for damage or casualties. Mehr later rejected an earlier report that an explosion had taken place in Bandar Abbas, another southern city.
US Central Command told Al Jazeera that the US military had not carried out strikes in Iran in the previous several hours. The denial followed days of exchanges between Washington and Tehran, with Al Jazeera reporting that the two countries have traded attacks since Tuesday.
Iranian officials cite air defences
Iran’s state news agency IRNA quoted Ehsan Jahanian, Bushehr’s deputy governor for political and security affairs, as saying the blast in Bushehr was caused by air defence systems. Jahanian also said a military headquarters outside the city had been hit by what he called a projectile, according to IRNA.
Al Jazeera reported that Iran has also struck military sites across the Gulf during the latest escalation, including in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. Those attacks have added pressure to a ceasefire arrangement reached in mid-June, according to the broadcaster.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump after the reports from Iran. The office said the two leaders agreed to keep coordinating “across various arenas” and that Trump updated Netanyahu on US moves in the Gulf.
Earlier Thursday, Netanyahu told an air force graduation ceremony at Hatzerim Air Base that the Iran war “has not ended” and that Israel faced “new challenges,” according to remarks quoted by Yedioth Ahronoth. The newspaper also quoted him as saying air superiority remained central to Israel’s security doctrine.
Israel’s military chief, Eyal Zamir, said the campaign against Iran was “not over” and told forces that new plans were being prepared. Defence Minister Israel Katz said at the same ceremony that Israel’s military was ready for renewed fighting and prepared to strike Iran again if needed.
Strait of Hormuz tensions
The latest reports followed attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the week, according to Al Jazeera. Vessels from Qatar and Saudi Arabia were among those hit while using a route closer to Oman, the broadcaster reported.
Iran has said ships should travel near the Iranian coast, while Gulf Cooperation Council members condemned attacks on vessels and on Gulf states’ territory in a joint statement. Al Jazeera reported that Washington wants traffic through the strait restored quickly to ease energy prices, while Iran opposes steps that would reduce its control over movement through the waterway.
Trump called Iran’s leadership “scum” after the shipping attacks and said the memorandum of understanding was “over,” according to Al Jazeera. The broadcaster reported that neither side has formally withdrawn from the deal, while Trump has also indicated that peace talks may continue for now.
Technical negotiations have been suspended for the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who Al Jazeera reported was killed on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli war. It remains unclear whether the talks will resume Monday as previously scheduled.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.