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A gas leak caused a powerful explosion in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, killing at least one person and injuring 14 others, Iranian state media reported.<\/p>\n
The blast hit an eight-storey residential building on Moallem Boulevard, destroying two floors and damaging nearby vehicles and shops. Emergency teams rushed to the area as debris was scattered across the street.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s semi-official Mehr news agency reported that the local fire department had identified a gas leak and the build-up of gas inside the building as the preliminary cause of the explosion.<\/p>\n
The fire department chief said further details would be shared after additional investigations.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Iran\u2019s official IRNA news agency quoted Hormozgan province\u2019s crisis management director, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, as saying that the cause of the blast was still under investigation.<\/p>\n
Later reports by Iranian state media indicated that the death toll may have risen to two, while the number of injured remained at 14.<\/p>\n
Videos shared on social media showed residents standing among rubble and damaged cars outside the building.<\/p>\n
In a separate incident, another gas explosion killed four people in the southwestern city of Ahvaz near the Iraqi border, according to Iranian media.<\/p>\n
The explosions occurred during a period of heightened political tension in Iran. Before news of the blasts emerged, President Masoud Pezeshkian had accused the United States, Israel and European countries of exploiting Iran\u2019s economic difficulties and encouraging unrest.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency rejected claims on social media that a Revolutionary Guard navy commander was targeted in the Bandar Abbas explosion, describing the reports as false.<\/p>\n
Two Israeli officials separately told Reuters that Israel was not involved, while the Pentagon did not immediately comment.<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump had said on January 22 that an \u201carmada\u201d was heading towards Iran, and sources said Washington was considering several options against Tehran, including targeted strikes on security forces.<\/p>\n
Bandar Abbas is home to Iran\u2019s most important container port and lies on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route that handles about one-fifth of the world\u2019s seaborne oil trade.<\/p>\n
The port was also hit by a major explosion last April that killed dozens and injured more than 1,000 people, with investigators later blaming failures in civil defence and security measures.<\/p>\n
Iran has been facing nationwide protests since December over economic hardship. A US-based rights group, HRANA, has reported that at least 6,500 people, including hundreds of security personnel, were killed during the unrest.<\/p>\n