Explosions reported near Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas as US widens Iran strikes

WASHINGTON, United States — TEHRAN — Explosions were reported near Qeshm Island at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and around the port city of Bandar Abbas on Thursday afternoon, according to Iran's Mehr News Agency, which said US munitions struck the area. Iranian media also said blast sounds were heard near Bandar Abbas port. The United States expanded the scope of its military operations inside Iran the same day, with airstrikes reported for the first time against targets in the country's northern regions. The US Army also said it intercepted an oil tanker sailing under the flag of Curaçao that was heading toward Kharg Island, Iran's largest crude export terminal, accusing the vessel of attempting to break a renewed US naval blockade. Iran responded with ballistic missiles and drones directed at Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, according to the report. The Iranian Army warned that any further US strikes on Iranian infrastructure would be met with an expansion of its own operations. The escalation followed the collapse of a recent ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, as the two countries exchanged attacks in recent days and the risk of a wider Middle East conflict increased.