Explosions heard in Bandar Abbas and other cities as Trump informs Congress of resumed military action

13/07/2026

TEHRAN / WASHINGTON, Jul 13: Several explosions were reported across southern Iran on Monday, including in Bandar Abbas, Larak and Konarak, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.

Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) also reported explosions in eastern Bandar Abbas but said the cause of the blasts was not immediately known.

The reports came as U.S. President Donald Trump formally notified Congress that hostilities with Iran had resumed, stating that American forces carried out "defensive strikes against targets within Iran" on July 7.

In a letter sent to congressional leaders on Friday and obtained by The New York Times on Monday, Trump said the military action was undertaken under his authority as commander in chief.

The notification is expected to intensify the ongoing dispute between the White House and Congress over the president's authority to continue military operations in Iran without congressional approval.

Both the House and Senate have voted to direct Trump either to end the military campaign or seek authorization from Congress, while the White House maintains that the president is acting within his constitutional powers.