Two explosions were heard on Iran’s southern Qeshm Island from the direction of the sea on Saturday evening, while authorities and local sources issued no explanation of their nature or causes. Iran’s official news agency confirmed that the two sounds were heard but provided no further details. Sounds of explosions have recurred on Qeshm in recent days.
Air-defence tests and rising tensions
The sound of explosions was heard on Friday, and official sources in Hormozgan province said it resulted from air-defence systems activity as part of testing and evaluating their capabilities. The developments come as tensions escalate between Iran and the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting shipping in the strategic waterway amid mutual threats by the two countries.
US Central Command said its forces had rerouted about 100 commercial vessels over the past 60 days, since the United States resumed blockade measures against Iran that it called “Iron Wall”. It added that the vessels had not crossed the blockade area without permission from US forces.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply since the war between Iran and the United States broke out on 28 February, against the backdrop of Iranian threats to vessels. The strait normally saw about 125 large commercial vessels pass through each day, including oil and gas tankers, container ships and bulk carriers, before the number fell to dozens of vessels.
