Explosion rocks Bandar Abbas building in Iran, several injured

Bandar Abbas, Iran: An explosion occurred on Saturday at an eight-storey building in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf coast, causing significant damage to the structure and surrounding area, state media reported. The cause of the blast is currently unknown.
According to Iranian state television, the explosion destroyed two floors of the building and damaged several vehicles and nearby shops on Moallem Boulevard. Rescue and firefighting teams were quickly deployed to the scene to assist with relief efforts.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, director general of crisis management in Hormozgan province, told the IRNA news agency that those injured in the incident were being taken to hospitals. No fatalities have been reported so far. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
Images broadcast by state TV showed the building’s facade blown out, exposing parts of its interior and scattering debris across the street.
The explosion comes amid heightened tensions in the region, following the deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier group to the region and recent aggressive rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied that any of its naval buildings in the province were affected, according to a statement carried by Fars news agency.
Separately, a gas explosion in the southwestern Khuzestan province killed four people on Saturday in the Kianshahr neighbourhood of Ahvaz city. Rescue crews are clearing debris to reach those trapped under the rubble, state television reported.