“Enemies are trying to spread despair through media warfare,” Tangsiri was quoted as saying by state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency. “Our people must preserve unity and remain consciously present in the arena,” he said. No recent images or video of Tangsiri were released. The statement followed reports Saturday of an explosion in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, after which rumors circulated on social media claiming Tangsiri had been killed. Tasnim denied those reports, later saying a gas leak caused the blast.
Iranian authorities said one child was killed and 14 people were wounded in the explosion, which occurred in or near an eight-story residential building. Iran’s fire department chief said the cause was a gas leak. Separately, Iranian media reported five additional deaths at a residential complex in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, near the Iraqi border. Details surrounding that incident were not immediately clear.The explosions came amid heightened tensions in Iran over the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump could order military action against the Islamic Republic, and amid speculation that Israel could be involved in any such strike. (Read More)
