Tehran: Multiple explosions were heard across strategic coastal locations in southern Iran, including Qeshm Island and the port of Jask, with local media attributing the sounds to ongoing activities in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported early Sunday.
According to Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim and Iranian state television, at least two distinct blasts were heard on Qeshm Island, which is located directly inside the narrow Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.
The incident on Qeshm Island follows reports by the official state news agency IRNA that “several explosions” were earlier heard across the port of Jask, located further east along the Gulf of Oman in Hormozgan province.
According to Al Jazeera, government authorities have yet to issue a formal clarification regarding the exact origin or cause of the explosions.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy reported that two oil tankers struck mines near the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported. Iranian state television, citing the navy, said the two tankers passed through an “unsafe” section of the strait with their navigation systems switched off and “suffered severe damage and stopped after hitting sea mines.”
In a separate development, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman using precision airstrikes after its crew repeatedly ignored warnings and attempted to breach an active naval blockade against Iran, the US military confirmed in an official statement.
According to a press release issued by CENTCOM on Saturday, a US military aircraft deployed precision-guided munitions targeting the stern of the St. Kitts-flagged vessel M/V Huda to render it immobile.
CENTCOM said the strike was carried out after its personnel issued direct instructions to the civilian crew to evacuate the targeted sections of the ship to prevent loss of life.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman, Nov. 7, after the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to violate the naval blockade against Iran multiple times,” the military command stated.
