Tragic Explosion Rocks Iran Port: 1 Dead, 14 Injured Ahead of US-Monitored Strait of Hormuz Naval Drill

DUBAI – A devastating explosion rocked an apartment building in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, claiming the life of a 4-year-old girl. Local media footage captured the dramatic scene, showing rescuers carrying out a security force member from the site.

The incident unfolded just a day before Iran’s scheduled naval exercises in the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for global oil trade. The U.S. military had previously cautioned Iran against any potential threats to its warships or commercial vessels navigating this vital waterway, where Bandar Abbas is located.

According to state television, a local fire official attributed the explosion to a gas leak. The blast, which shattered windows and scattered debris across the surrounding area, left at least 14 people injured in the eight-story building.

A report from the local newspaper, Sobh-e Sahel, included video footage showing its correspondent at the scene. The video depicted a man in a green security force uniform, wearing black boots, being carried on a stretcher. The man, who appeared to be in distress, had a neck brace and his left hand obscured the insignia on his uniform.

Interestingly, the local newspaper did not further elaborate on the security force member’s involvement. Meanwhile, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard made no official statement regarding the blast, except to refute claims that a Guard navy commander was injured in the explosion.

Another explosion blamed on a gas explosion Saturday in the southwestern city of Ahvaz killed five people, state media reported.

It comes as Iran remains tense over a threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to potentially launch a military strike on the country over the killing of peaceful protesters or the possible mass execution of those detained in a major crackdown over the demonstrations.

Ali Larijani, a top security official in Iran, wrote on X late Saturday that “structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing.” However, there is no public sign of any talks with the United States, which Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly ruled out.