Explosions heard in Iran following confrontation with 'enemy targets': Report
Tehran, Aug 7
Two explosions were heard on Iran's southern Qeshm Island in Hormozgan province Thursday night as a result of the Iranian armed forces' confrontation with "hostile enemy targets" at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Tasnim cited informed sources as saying that the explosions were heard at around 21:40 local time (1810 GMT), adding that the "achievements" of the Iranian naval forces' confrontation will be announced in the coming hours.
It also quoted Ahmad Nafisi, Hormozgan's deputy governor for political, security and social affairs, as saying that no strike or incident had been reported on Qeshm Island and the provincial capital Bandar Abbas.
He added that the relevant authorities are carrying out the necessary investigations to identify the cause of the explosions.
Earlier in the day, Iran and Oman reached an understanding on the outlines of an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days, Saudi-based Al Hadath news channel and Al Arabiya news channel reported Thursday, both citing high-ranking sources.
The sources said the agreement, which still needs approval by Iran's Supreme National Security Council and could be announced within days, aims to resume navigation in the waterway, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Vessels entering the strait will use a route close to Iran, while those leaving will take one close to Oman. No transit fees or service charges will be imposed, and regional parties may participate in demining and technical procedures, the sources said.
Following the agreement's approval, the United States and Iran will return to their peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) and activate Paragraph 5 concerning the reopening and safe navigation of commercial shipping through the strait, the sources said.
Indirect contacts between Iran and the United States remain through mediators and have entered their final stage, the sources added.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Our foreign ministry should be watching this closely. India imports most of its crude through this route. Any military confrontation in the Gulf directly impacts our economy and the millions of Indians working there. Be safe, everyone. 🙏
Reopening the strait after 60 days sounds like a temporary band-aid, not a solution. What happens after those 60 days? The world needs a permanent resolution, not these stop-gap agreements that can collapse anytime.
As someone whose family relies on remittances from Dubai, this constant tension in the Gulf keeps us on edge. Every time there's a news like this, we worry about our loved ones there. The global community needs to de-escalate this quickly. 😔
Respectfully, I think we need to question why Iran is allowed to dictate terms on an international waterway. Either the rules of maritime law apply or they don't. The fact that they can shut it down at will shows how fragile the global order is.
The 60-day reopening plan with Iran and Oman sharing lanes is actually a clever diplomatic move if it works. No transit fees means trade won't be disrupted further. But demining in that region? That's not going to be quick or easy.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.