At least one person was killed in an explosion in an Iranian port city ahead of Iranian military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz.

A day before Iran’s planned naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, an explosion ripped through a building on Saturday in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, which sits on the strait.

The explosion killed a 4-year-old girl, as local media images allegedly showed a member of the security forces being led away by rescuers.

Iran plans naval exercises on Sunday and Monday in crisis, small mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil trade passes. The US Navy has warned Iran not to threaten its warships or commercial traffic over the crisis.

State television quoted a local fire official as blaming the explosion on a gas leak. The media reported at least 14 others were injured in the blast.

The local newspaper, Sobh-e Sahel, published pictures of the journalist speaking in front of the building. The video included a sequence showing a man in a blue military uniform being carried on a stretcher. He had a belt around his neck and appeared to be in pain, his left hand covering the branch symbol on his uniform.

This newspaper did not admit that the member of the defense force was made elsewhere in its reporting. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard did not comment on the explosion, except to deny that a marine commander was injured.

Another suspected gas explosion on Saturday in the southwestern city of Ahvaz killed five people, state media reported.

Iran remains tense over President Trump’s threat to which may be introduced a military strike in the country due to the peaceful killing of protesters or the mass killing of those arrested in a mass protest because of the protests.

Speaking to CBS News Thursday night on the red carpet for the premiere of “Melania” — a documentary that gives an inside look at first lady Melania Trump in the days following her husband’s 2024 election victory — Mr. Trump said he has “had” talks with Iran over the past few days, and “I plan” to have more.

Mr. Trump said, in those conversations, “he told them two things. No. 1, no nuclear. And No. 2, stop killing protesters. They’re killing thousands.”

At least 10 US warships – including an aircraft carrier and at least five destroyers – were in Iranian coastal waters on Friday.

“We have many large, very powerful ships going to Iran right now,” Mr. Trump told CBS News on Thursday. “And it would be nice if we didn’t have to use them.”

Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, wrote on X late Saturday that “preparations for talks are underway.” CBS News on Friday sought clarification from the White House about any ongoing direct talks between the Trump administration and Tehran.

Egyptian President Adel-Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday called for a reduction and said that Egypt is working to bring the US and Iran to the negotiating table to reach a “peaceful and comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear file,” according to a statement in his phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Qatar said in a statement that Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani visited Tehran on Saturday and met with Larijani “in an effort to ease tensions in the region.”