US Military Says It Had No Role in Recent Explosions Heard Across Iran

Explosions were reported late Thursday in Iran's Bushehr province, including near the nuclear plant and the city of Choghadak, as well as in Konarak, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency. Iran's deputy governor for political and security affairs, Ehsan Jahanian, told IRNA the blast in Bushehr resulted from air-defence activity and that a nearby military headquarters was hit by a projectile. Mehr did not provide details on casualties or damage and later retracted an earlier claim of an explosion in Bandar Abbas.

The U.S. Central Command responded to inquiries from Al Jazeera, stating that the U.S. military had not carried out any strikes in Iran in the preceding hours. The denial comes amid a series of retaliatory attacks between the United States and Iran that began on Tuesday, with Tehran targeting military sites in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Israeli officials reiterated that hostilities with Iran remain ongoing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump about continued coordination, and he told an audience at an Israeli air-force ceremony that "the war has not ended" and that new challenges lie ahead. Israel's army chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, and defence minister Israel Katz also warned that further operations against Iran were being planned.

The latest incidents follow Iran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the week, prompting condemnation from Gulf Cooperation Council members. Disagreements persist over navigation routes in the strait, with the United States seeking a swift resumption of traffic and Iran insisting on greater control.

While both sides have exchanged fire, officials have not indicated a formal escalation beyond the current exchanges.