Explosions Reported in Southern Iran Hours After US Warning Over Hormuz Attacks

TEHRAN, Jul 8: Multiple explosions were reported in southern Iran early Wednesday, just hours after the United States warned Tehran it would face consequences over recent attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that several explosions were heard in Sirik County, a coastal area overlooking the Gulf of Oman.

The cause of the explosions was not immediately known.

Mehr said that, as of its report, no military, security or local authorities had confirmed or denied the nature of the blasts.

The reported explosions came shortly after a US official said Washington was revoking a general license that had authorized the sale of Iranian oil, following a series of tanker attacks near the Strait of Hormuz that the United States blamed on Iran.

The incidents have further heightened tensions in the Gulf, where several commercial vessels have recently come under attack, prompting international warnings over the security of one of the world's busiest maritime shipping routes.