The US and Israel are denying involvement in the mysterious blasts that killed six and wounded more than a dozen others across Iran Saturday.
US officials said the explosion in the Iranian port city Bandar Abbas was not related to any military activity in the region, CNN reported – even though a massive US naval “armada” is set to arrive in the Persian Gulf as tensions with Tehran mount.
The Israeli government also refuted claims they had launched a targeted drone strike on an Iranian military target, the outlet reported.
One child died and 14 others were injured in a blast that rocked a residential building in Bandar Abbas on Saturday, with state media initially blaming the blast on a gas leak while continuing to probe.
Across the Strait of Hormuz, a second blast was heard in the southwestern Khuzestan province where five people were killed in a separate gas explosion, according to The Jerusalem Post.
There were also unconfirmed reports of explosions in other parts of the country.
Iranian state media pushed back against viral social media reports on Saturday that Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps naval officers fell victim to targeted drone attacks.
The mysterious explosions come as US Central Command issued a stark warning to Iran as the repressive regime prepares to conduct live-fire war games in the Strait on Sunday.
“Any unsafe and unprofessional behavior near US forces, regional partners, or commercial vessels increases risks of collision, escalation, and destabilization,” CENTCOM wrote on X Friday.
Despite heightened tensions, Iranian officials claimed they are progressing toward a deal with the US.
“Contrary to the hype of the contrived media war, structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Larijani wrote on X Saturday.
