Iran reports explosions across multiple cities as US strikes strain Hormuz Strait

Explosions were heard overnight Friday into Saturday across several Iranian cities, according to Iranian state-linked outlets and officials cited in local reports. The Tasnim news agency said five blasts were heard around the city of Yazd, without identifying targets or reporting damage. Veliullah Hayati, the deputy governor of Khuzestan province responsible for security and police affairs, said US missile strikes had hit sites around the city of Ahvaz. Separately, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers detonated while attempting to travel through a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a large fire. The IRG claimed the vessels had been directed to the route by US intelligence units, an accusation that could not be independently verified. Concurrent reports also cited blast sounds and increased military activity near Larak Island in the strait. The Revolutionary Guards described the Strait of Hormuz as "extremely dangerous and completely closed" because of US military operations. They warned that the export of fertilizer, oil and gas through the corridor would not be possible as long as US strikes continue. No casualty figures or damage assessments were immediately available.