Explosions heard near Kharg Island after US missile targets Iranian tanker: Report

Sounds of explosions were heard near Kharg Island, a key oil hub in Iran, after an oil tanker was hit by the United States on Saturday, news agency Reuters reported, citing Iran’s state-affiliated Nournews. No casualties have been reported so far.

As per Asr Iran, another news site, the tanker was hit by four projectiles while it was being unloaded. Iran's semi-official Fars News agency has said that although the sound of the blast was heard, no smoke was seen rising near Kharg Island.

Meanwhile, the Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed the development.

The reported attack comes amid a fresh escalation in the months-long US-Iran conflict, with conflict intensifying around the strategically vital maritime chokepoint Strait of Hormuz in recent days.

The United States launched a new wave of strikes against Iranian targets on August 30, hitting Iranian positions on Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz. Washington said the strikes targeted Iranian forces involved in laying mines and threatening maritime traffic.

A day after the attack, US President Donald Trump said that Kharg Island was being “blown to smithereens” in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video. He hinted at possible military action on Kharg Island in the upcoming time.

The statement drew a sharp reaction from Tehran, as it vowed strong retaliation if Kharg is attacked.

CENTCOM TARGETS IRANIAN MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURES

The confrontation escalated further on September 1, when the US carried out another barrage of strikes along Iran's southern coast. The US military said it targeted Iranian air-defence systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites.

"US forces struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets including air defence sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites. The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members," the US Central Command wrote on X, while briefing about the strike.

Iran also responded quickly to the attacks by launching missiles on US and allied positions across the Gulf region, including in Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq.

The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the central flashpoint in the latest escalation. Iran has maintained restrictions on shipping through the waterway, while the US has sought to challenge Tehran's control over the strategic route. The strait is a crucial global energy corridor, with a significant share of the world's oil supply normally passing through it.

The fighting has also increasingly spilt over into maritime traffic. Reuters reported that exchanges of fire and attacks involving vessels near the Strait of Hormuz had disrupted shipping, while the US strikes and Iranian retaliation have heightened fears of further disruption to global oil supplies.

IRAN ACCUSES US OF TARGETING CIVILIANS

At least five people, including a four-year-old child, were killed and more than 50 others injured after a US airstrike hit a residential house where a wedding celebration was taking place in southern Iran on Tuesday, Iranian authorities said.

The strike took place in Kuhestak in Sirik County, Hormozgan province, near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state broadcaster IRIB released visuals from the scene and reported that the death and injury toll was rising. While Iranian authorities initially reported more than 50 people wounded, Reuters said the number of injured could be as high as 68.

Meanwhile, the US military said that the strikes targeted Iranian military capabilities, including air-defence systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities. Washington said the strikes were linked to concerns over Iranian activity around the Strait of Hormuz.