Iranian state TV denies explosions in southern ports amid US strikes

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian state television said Thursday evening that no explosions occurred at the ports of Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, Sirik and Jask. A US official told CNN at the same time that the US military was not conducting any strikes at that moment. Earlier, Iran's Mehr News Agency had reported that six explosion sounds were heard in the southern regions of Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and Kinarak. The denials came after the United States said it had struck 170 military targets on Thursday along Iran's coastline and near the Strait of Hormuz to weaken threats to maritime traffic. Tehran responded by announcing it had targeted US bases in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. The exchange of strikes has heightened tensions around the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials stressed that civilian areas were not targeted and firmly rejected reports of explosions, while contradictory information from the region has fueled uncertainty over the scale of the conflict.