Iran: Armed Forces on 'High Alert', Explosion Near Gulf Caused by Gas Leak

An explosion occurred on Saturday at the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, resulting in at least one death and 14 injuries. Local fire chief reported that the blast was caused by a gas leak, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr. Earlier, Tehran had warned that the armed forces were on "high alert" in anticipation of a possible American attack.

The Iranian armed forces declared themselves to be in a state of "high alert" on January 31, amid a general atmosphere of anxiety fueled by rumors and conflicting messages from Donald Trump.

The explosion, which took place in a residential building in Bandar Abbas, a southern port on the Gulf, remained unexplained for several hours before firefighters confirmed it was due to a gas leak.

Separate incidents were reported elsewhere in the country, but media quickly ruled out any connection to an American attack.

Source: France 24