2 blasts rock Iran, killing at least 5; Israeli officials deny any involvement
Local fire chief says explosion in Bandar Abbas was caused by gas leak, official says 4-year-old killed; IRGC denies its naval facilities were targeted after online rumors spread
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAt least one person was killed and 14 injured in an explosion in the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, a local official told Iranian news agencies. Israeli officials denied any involvement.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency said that social media reports alleging that a Revolutionary Guard navy commander had been targeted in the explosion were “completely false.”
Iranian media said the blast was under investigation. According to the local fire chief, the blast was the result of a gas leak.
“The initial cause of the building accident in Bandar Abbas was a gas leak and buildup, leading to an explosion. This is the initial theory,” Mohammad Amin Lyaghat said, in comments broadcast on state television.
According to a local official, the only person killed in the blast was a child.
“Unfortunately, a four-year-old girl lost her life,” and 14 people were hospitalized, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, director general of crisis management for Hormozgan province where Bandar Abbas is the capital, told Mehr news agency.
???????????? BREAKING: Multiple explosions were reported in a residential building in the Azadegan neighborhood of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
Initial reports indicating a gas leak as the cause. pic.twitter.com/B0MU3KWX41
— PLT Report (@pltreport) January 31, 2026
Separately, four people were killed after a gas explosion in the city of Ahvaz near the Iraqi border, according to state-run Tehran Times. No further information was immediately available.
Two Israeli officials told Reuters that Israel was not involved in Saturday’s blasts, which come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests and over the country’s nuclear program.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US President Donald Trump said on January 22 an “armada” was heading toward Iran. Multiple sources said on Friday that Trump was weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused US, Israeli and European leaders of exploiting Iran’s economic problems, inciting unrest and providing people with the means to “tear the nation apart.”
Bandar Abbas, home to Iran’s most important container port, lies on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway between Iran and Oman which handles about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil.
The port suffered a major explosion last April that killed dozens and injured over 1,000 people. An investigative committee at the time blamed the blast on shortcomings in adherence to principles of civil defense and security.
Iran has been rocked by nationwide protests that erupted in December over economic hardship and have posed one of the toughest challenges to the country’s clerical rulers.
At least 5,000 people were killed in the protests, including 500 members of the security forces, an Iranian official told Reuters.
The Times of Israel Community.