As Iranian and US leaders met for their first direct talks in the New York side of the United Nations General Assembly in months, an explosion was heard near Iran’s Qeshm Island in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state TV reported the explosion on Wednesday, but the causes of and damage were not immediately known, authorities said. The strategically significant Qeshm Island is also the place of previous explosions in the current U.S.-Israel crackdown on Iran.
Explosion Reported Near Qeshm Island
One-explosion sound was heard near Qeshm Island, which is located near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s state news agency reported.
There was no immediate information on whether the blaze was connected with military operations or an accident or other incident. The release of the report coincided with the fact that Tehran’s negotiators have been at their New York talks with US officials.
The same has been reported on the island in past months. Earlier this September, Reuters reported several explosions on Qeshm, saying his the blasts sounded as if they were coming from somewhere near the sea.
US-Iran Talks Put Hormuz In Focus
The blast was just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his envoys, Vice President Mike Pence’s special representative to Iran Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, held a “roughly three-hour meeting” with Iranian officials. Through mediators, the talks, described by Witkoff as “very good” by Trump, could be “very good,” “constructive” and “promising,” he added.
Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, was among the Iranian team, it was reported. The negotiations also coincided with Tehran’s indication it would be prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in seven days should Washington ease military pressure and remove its blockade on Iranian ports.
But the new blast has thrown fresh shadow over the pivotal waterway and just as Washington has begun new diplomatic talks with Tehran.