Explosions Kill 5 in Iran Amid US Tensions

Multiple explosions struck Iranian cities on Saturday, killing at least five people and injuring more than a dozen others, as the country faces escalating tensions with the United States over a recent crackdown on protests.

In the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, an explosion tore through an eight-story residential building on Moallem Boulevard, destroying two lower floors and damaging nearby vehicles and shops. One person died and 14 others were wounded, according to local reports. Emergency responders, including firefighters and rescue teams, were deployed to the site, where visuals showed the building's facade blown out and debris scattered across the street. Officials from Hormozgan province's crisis management office stated that the cause remains under investigation, with injured individuals transported to hospitals for treatment.

A separate blast occurred in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, where a gas explosion in a residential building in the Kianshahr neighborhood killed four people and injured one more. Fire officials cited a gas leak as the trigger, and state media reported that relief operations followed immediately.

Iranian authorities rejected social media rumors...