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Two explosions kill five in Iranian cities
Five people died and at least 14 were injured in separate gas-related blasts in southern Iran on Sunday, according to local officials and state media.
Bandar Abbas blast leaves one dead, 14 hurt
An explosion tore through an eight-story residential building in the coastal city of Bandar Abbas, collapsing two floors and damaging nearby vehicles and shops, state television reported. Fire department chief Mohammad Amin Liaqat attributed the incident to a gas leak and subsequent buildup.
"A preliminary investigation points to a gas leak," Liaqat said in a video statement released by the semi-official Mehr news agency. "More details will follow in the coming hours."
Regional official Mehrdad Hassanzadeh confirmed the injured had been hospitalized. The semi-official Tasnim news agency dismissed rumors that the blast targeted a Revolutionary Guards Corps navy commander.
Four killed in Ahvaz explosion
A second explosion struck a residential building in Ahvaz, a city near the Iraqi border, killing four people, the state-run Tehran Times reported. Emergency crews rescued a child trapped under debris and transported the victim for medical care.
Regional tensions persist amid US-Iran talks
The incidents occur as tensions simmer in the Gulf, with the U.S. bolstering its military presence in the region. President Donald Trump told reporters en route to Florida on Saturday that Iran was engaged in "serious" negotiations with Washington but declined to disclose U.S. plans.
"We'll see if we can do something, otherwise we'll see what happens... we have a big fleet heading out there."
U.S. President Donald Trump
Trump reiterated to Fox News that Iran was "negotiating," though he emphasized the U.S. would not share its strategy with Gulf allies. He also warned Tehran on Wednesday that time was "running out" to strike a nuclear deal, while demanding an end to the crackdown on protesters.
Iranian leaders urge de-escalation
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a call that conflict served neither country's interests, according to a statement from Iran's presidency. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has never sought and in no way seeks war," Pezeshkian said.
Supreme National Security Council head Ali Larijani, who met with Qatar's prime minister in Tehran on Saturday, wrote on X that "structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing," despite "contrived media hype."
Iran's foreign minister stated Tehran remained open to U.S. talks based on "trust and respect" but ruled out negotiations over its missile defense system.
Protests and crackdowns fuel tensions
Trump previously vowed to intervene after reports of a brutal crackdown on protesters, though he later claimed executions had ceased. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has verified over 6,300 deaths since unrest began in late December and is investigating an additional 17,000 reported fatalities.
