Explosions heard across southern Iran were suggested by Iranian media to be linked to military activity rather than fresh US strikes, as Tehran and Washington reported separate incidents involving shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state television said officials had not confirmed any missile attack on Iranian territory after blasts were reported on Saturday evening, including on Qeshm Island in the strategic waterway.
The Tasnim news agency later reported that two missiles had hit Qeshm Island, although neither Iran nor the US commented on the claim and there was no official information about possible damage.
Iranian state television said the explosions could have been connected to military activity in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said two oil tankers had caught fire after hitting mines while attempting to use an “unauthorised route”, while semi-official Fars news agency reported that a third tanker had also exploded and caught fire.
Shipping incidents reported in the Gulf of Oman
The US military said its air force had fired on the stern of a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman, disabling it as it attempted to pass through the American blockade of Iranian ports.
Monitors from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a bulk carrier and military forces had been involved in an incident about 18 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates. The extent of the damage was not known, and it was unclear whether the incident was connected to the reported US attack.
The reports came after President Donald Trump had suggested that major attacks on Iran could resume following last week’s US midterm elections. There has been no indication of a large-scale American military operation, while Iran has said it would retaliate by targeting US and Israeli interests.
Since the US and Israel began attacking Iran in February, Tehran has sought to obstruct Gulf energy exports by targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. US forces began restricting movement to and from Iranian ports in April.
Both sides have continued to report attacks and other incidents involving shipping in the waterway, threatening exports of energy and other commodities. The reported strikes and explosions could not be independently confirmed.
