IRGC Denies Assassination of Navy Commander After Explosion in Bandar Abbas

SadaNews - The Iranian Revolutionary Guard denied reports on Saturday about the assassination of its naval commander, following an explosion of unknown cause in a building in a city in southern Iran, according to Iranian media.

The official Iranian television reported that the explosion occurred in an eight-story building, "destroying two floors and several cars and shops" in the Maalim Street area of the city. It added that rescue and firefighting teams were present at the site to provide assistance.

Iranian media stated that investigations are underway regarding the explosion.

Bandar Abbas port is located at the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway between Iran and Oman, through which about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes.

This explosion comes amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, after Iranian authorities suppressed the largest protests to shake the country in three years, and also amid ongoing Western concerns regarding Iran's nuclear program.

In a separate incident, the government newspaper "Tehran Times" reported, citing the head of the fire department, that four people were killed in a gas explosion in a residential building in the city of Ahvaz in western Iran, according to Reuters.

Protests erupted across the country in December due to economic hardships and represented one of the toughest challenges faced by the Iranian regime.

An Iranian official told Reuters that at least 5,000 people have been killed in the protests, including 500 members of security forces.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a "fleet" is heading towards Iran. Various sources reported on Friday that Trump is considering options to deal with Iran, including targeting specific strikes against security forces.

Earlier today, Iranian President Masoud Bezhkian accused leaders of the United States, Israel, and Europe of exploiting the economic problems in his country, inciting unrest, and providing individuals with the means to "tear the nation apart."

The United States warned the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on Friday that it "will not accept unsafe actions" in the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran announced it would conduct a naval exercise with live ammunition there for two days.

The U.S. Central Command, responsible for the Middle East, stated that the U.S. military will not tolerate "unsafe" maneuvers, such as flying over U.S. warships, including Iranian fast boats approaching in a collision course with American vessels.

The Central Command added that "any unsafe or unprofessional behavior near U.S. forces, regional partners, or commercial ships increases the risk of collision, escalation, and destabilization."