Iran says air defenses engaged US drones after blasts in Bushehr; Konarak naval site hit in airstrikes

09/07/2026

TEHRAN, Jul 19: Conflicting accounts continued to emerge from southern Iran on Thursday after local officials confirmed military activity in Bushehr and Konarak, while state television denied reports of explosions in several other southern cities.

A senior official in Bushehr province said explosions heard in the city were caused by Iranian air defenses engaging US drones. The Iranian regime official also said a military site on the outskirts of Bushehr was struck by what he described as a "US-Israeli" projectile, adding that no casualties had been reported from the attack.

The province's deputy governor for political and security affairs said the "timely response" of Iran's air defense systems prevented enemy drones from carrying out their mission.

Meanwhile, the governor of Konarak in southeastern Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province confirmed that a naval military facility in the city was targeted in two waves of airstrikes carried out by fighter jets.

Earlier, Iran's state broadcaster rejected reports published by the semi-official Mehr News Agency of explosions in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, Sirik and Jask, saying no such incidents had been reported in those locations. However, the broadcaster did not mention Bushehr or Konarak in its denial, where local officials later acknowledged military activity.

The claims by Iranian officials could not be independently verified, and there has been no immediate comment from the United States or Israel on the reported incidents.