Iran explosions reported on Qeshm Island as two tankers burn in Strait of Hormuz

Explosions have shaken several areas across southern Iran, including Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, while two oil tankers caught fire in the strategic waterway after striking sea mines.

Iranian state television reported the blasts late on Saturday, suggesting they may be tied to domestic military activities along the coast. Officials have not confirmed any foreign missile strikes, and the semi-official Tasnim news agency cited a source denying missile involvement on Qeshm Island, though it had earlier reported two missile impacts on the island.

Early on Sunday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported that two commercial tankers caught fire after hitting mines while navigating what Tehran termed an unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz. It is not yet clear whether the tanker fires are directly connected to the explosion noises reported by residents in Qeshm, Bandar Abbas, and Khamir.

Key incidents in the Strait of Hormuz

US Central Command confirmed that its aircraft disabled a commercial vessel on Saturday evening after it attempted to violate Washington's naval blockade of Iran. The U.S. strike targeted the vessel's stern. This follow limited American military strikes on Qeshm Island earlier in the week, which U.S. officials insisted did not mark a full resumption of major offensive operations.

Maritime blockades and shipping restrictions have disrupted the Strait of Hormuz since hostilities between Washington and Tehran erupted in February. Iran has targeted ships violating its navigation rules in an effort to assert dominance over the strategic bottleneck, while repeatedly warning that fresh American attacks will prompt retaliatory strikes against U.S. and Israeli targets across the region.