Deaths in explosions in Iran – army remains on alert

The detonation initially sparked speculation that it could be related to the current intensified Tensions between Iran and the USA related.

The head of the local fire department, Mohammed Amin Lyaghat, spoke on state television on Saturday of an accident. State TV initially only reported on the explosion without providing any information about the cause. According to Iranian media, two floors of the house as well as several cars and shops were destroyed in the explosion.

The semi-state news agency had reports on social media that a Revolutionary Guard commander was the target Tasnim previously rejected as “completely false”. The newspaper Tehran Times According to reports, a gas explosion in the city of Ahwas near the Iraqi border also left four dead.

The country’s most important container port

Abbas city is the country’s most important container port. It is located on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important strait between Iran and Oman, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil shipments pass by sea. The port was the scene of a massive explosion last April that killed dozens of people and injured over 1,000. At the time, an investigative committee blamed deficiencies in safety precautions for the accident.

Eyewitnesses also reported an explosion and rising noise Smoke near the capital Tehran. However, according to an official, only reeds on a river caught fire, as Iranian media reported. Israel denied any responsibility or connection to the incidents. Two government officials told Reuters their country was not involved in the explosions.

Fear of war – army chief warns USA of “mistakes”

A three-day naval exercise by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards will soon begin in the Persian Gulf, in which China and Russia are also expected to take part. The background is military tensions. US President Donald Trump had moved a fleet including an aircraft carrier to the region. The Republican had repeatedly threatened the leadership in Tehran to intervene in the country after the security apparatus brutally cracked down on protests.

Army chief Amir Hatami had previously stated that the Iranian armed forces were “in full defense and combat readiness.” “If the enemy makes a mistake, it will undoubtedly endanger its own security, the security of the region and the security of the Zionist regime,” he warned, according to the state news agency Irna from Saturday.

Tensions between the US and Iran have increased by new threats from Trump tightened. Trump threatened on Friday with new US military attacks against the country if Tehran refused a new agreement on its nuclear program. He also referred to US warships that he had sent towards Iran.

US Army sees risk of escalation

Before the start of a planned maneuver in the Strait of Hormuz, the US military warned the Iranian Revolutionary Guards against risky behavior. The US military will not tolerate “unsafe” maneuvers such as flights over US warships or low-altitude bases. This also applies to the approach of Iranian speedboats on a collision course with US ships, explained the regional command responsible for the Middle East (CENTCOM).

“Any unsafe and unprofessional behavior in the vicinity of US troops, regional partners or commercial vessels increases the risk of collision, escalation and destabilization,” the US military said. Iran’s units would have the right to operate in international waters and airspace. The American military adheres to the highest professional standards and international law, and the Revolutionary Guards are also obliged to do so, warned CENTCOM.

The US military demanded that the Iranian maneuvers planned from Sunday, in which live ammunition would be fired, should not affect freedom of navigation and international commercial shipping in the important strait. The Strait of Hormuz – a 55 kilometer wide strait between Iran and Oman – is considered one of the most important shipping routes for global oil exports.

Trump threatens Iran with US military action

The planned maneuver is taking place at a time when the situation with regard to Iran is already very tense. The US armed forces have significantly expanded their presence in the region since the beginning of January, for example with the aircraft carrier “USS Abraham Lincoln” and its escort ships.

The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi declared on Friday that his country was ready for both negotiations and war. He rejected Trump’s central demands. Defense strategies and missile systems will never be subject to negotiations, Araqchi said. Iran will maintain its capabilities and even expand them if necessary. He warned the US that a military conflict this time could go beyond a bilateral war. In June last year, the US military bombed nuclear facilities in Iran – alongside Israeli attacks.