A fuel tanker explosion in western Iran killed at least 11 people and injured seven others after the tanker was involved in a traffic accident on Saturday, state-run broadcaster IRIB reported. The incident took place on an intercity road linking Sanandaj County in Kurdestan province with Hamedan County in Hamedan province.
The blast also spread to several nearby vehicles, according to emergency officials.
Emergency responders took the injured to a medical facility in Sanandaj, Xinhua news agency reported. Rescue and emergency operations at the site were still underway.
Earlier on Saturday, an Iranian oil tanker was reportedly hit by projectiles or missiles while unloading near Kharg Island. Initial reports said the cause of the explosions was unclear. The incident came amid a wider confrontation at sea, after the United States said Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces had launched ballistic missiles towards two US Navy vessels.
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US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper warned the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), saying, “Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost, taking out three of yours.”
In July, an oil tanker exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after reportedly striking a naval mine, according to local media reports. The vessel was said to have drifted away from designated maritime routes before hitting the explosive device.
Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that the tanker had left designated channels and entered an area restricted for safe maritime transit despite earlier warnings.
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