Explosion in Bandar Abbas Apartment Building Kills 4-Year-Old Girl
An explosion ripped through an apartment building in Iran’s port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, claiming the life of a 4-year-old girl. Local media footage showed a security force member being carried out by rescuers in the aftermath of the blast.
The incident occurred just a day before Iran’s planned naval drill in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes. The US military has issued warnings to Iran against threatening warships or commercial traffic in the strait, where Bandar Abbas is located.
Initial reports from state television attributed the explosion to a gas leak, with at least 14 individuals reported injured in the blast.
A local newspaper, Sobh-e Sahel, shared footage of the scene, including a security force member in distress being carried on a stretcher. Despite this visual evidence, the newspaper did not provide additional details on the injured individual. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has denied reports of a navy commander being harmed in the incident.
Separately, another explosion linked to a gas leak in the southwestern city of Ahvaz resulted in the death of five individuals, as reported by state media.
The tensions in Iran have heightened following US President Donald Trump’s threats of military action in response to the killing of peaceful protesters or the potential mass execution of detainees during recent demonstrations.
Senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani mentioned progress in negotiation preparations, although public discussions with the United States, opposed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have not materialized.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has advocated for de-escalation, emphasizing efforts to facilitate dialogue between the US and Iran for a peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue. This sentiment was echoed in a statement following his conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Additionally, Qatar expressed its commitment to reducing tensions in the region, with Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani meeting with Larijani to discuss collaborative efforts towards de-escalation.
