Explosions Reported Near Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Plant, US Denies Strikes

A series of explosions were reported across southern Iran on Thursday, including near the country’s only civilian nuclear power facility in Bushehr, as regional tensions remained high. Iranian media reported that several locations in the province were targeted, while the United States denied that its military was involved and Tehran did not immediately accuse any country of carrying out the attacks.

Citing Iranian state media, AFP reported that a projectile described as US-Israeli struck a military headquarters on the outskirts of Bushehr. Ehsan Jahanian, the deputy governor of Bushehr province, said several areas were targeted, including the perimeter of the nuclear power plant, a military base in the town of Choghadak and a fishing pier in the southern part of the province.

No deaths were reported following the incidents in Bushehr province, according to local officials. Iranian media also reported further explosions elsewhere in the country’s south, with the Mehr News Agency saying three blasts were heard in the city of Konarak. Details about the extent of the damage and the weapons involved remained limited.

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A United States official told Al Jazeera that the American military was not responsible for the latest attacks. Iranian authorities also stopped short of publicly blaming any country, leaving responsibility for the reported strikes unclear. The explosions came amid heightened military tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, meanwhile, warned on Thursday that Israel was prepared to resume military action against Iran if necessary. Speaking at a military ceremony, Katz said the armed forces remained ready and on alert to return to fighting, regain air superiority and strike threats inside Iran with greater force.

The reports of fresh explosions emerged hours after Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried at the Imam Reza shrine, the country’s holiest religious complex, early on Friday. The timing added to uncertainty across Iran as authorities assessed the reported attacks and regional tensions continued to raise concerns about the possibility of further military escalation.

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