Two explosions in southern Iran killed at least seven people and injured more than a dozen on Saturday, with officials blaming gas leaks, residents questioning the claim, and Israel denying any involvement.
In the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, an explosion in a residential building killed at least two people and injured 14 others, a local crisis management official told state media.
The local fire department chief said the blast was caused by a gas leak, a preliminary assessment echoed by state news outlets. However, one resident said in a video obtained by Iran International that the building was not yet connected to the gas grid.
Videos and images from the site showed significant structural damage to the building, with two floors destroyed and debris scattered nearby.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied rumors that the Bandar Abbas blast targeted its Navy commander, calling the reports false, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.
A video released by a local newspaper showed a man in uniform had been injured in the blast. However, local officials later said he was a Law Enforcement agent who was injured while trying to help the victims.
Separately, in Ahvaz in southwestern Iran, another explosion attributed to gas leak killed five people and injured three others, according to state media.
Reuters quoted two Israeli officials as saying the Jewish State was not involved in the explosions.
Iranian authorities said they were investigating both incidents and did not immediately provide further details on the causes.
Following a 12-day war between Iran and Israel last June, mysterious explosions and fires were reported at residential, commercial and infrastructure locations in several cities of Iran, including Tehran, Karaj, Qom, Mashhad and Tabriz.
In many cases, Iranian officials and state media described them as accidents, frequently citing gas leaks or technical causes, and said investigations were ongoing.
