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Explosions reported off Kish Island and in Iraqi Kurdistan as CENTCOM strikes begin

The Zioneer Intelligence Desk

Primary source Internal intake · 4 reviewed intake signals · Desk window 01:11

TL;DR

Explosions were heard from a distance off Kish Island, southern Iran, with the source unknown, Iranian state TV reported. Separately, an Al-Mayadeen correspondent reported explosions in the Kurdjal camp area north of Erbil province in Iraqi Kurdistan. A US official confirmed to i24NEWS that US Central Command (CENTCOM) has begun striking targets in Iran. The nature of the blasts in both locations is not yet clear.

01 · THE DISPATCH

New explosions were reported on Tuesday evening off Kish Island (in the Persian Gulf) and in northern Iraqi Kurdistan, as a senior US official confirmed that American strikes on Iran had begun.

Iranian state television reported that a loud blast was heard from a distance off Kish Island, a southern Iranian resort island, with the source unknown. In Iraqi Kurdistan, an Al-Mayadeen correspondent reported explosions in the area of the Kurdjal camp, north of Erbil province — a region that hosts US military personnel and facilities.

These reports follow a wave of explosions reported across southern and central Iran over the past several days, including on Qeshm Island, Kharg Island, and near Bandar Abbas, as The Zioneer reported earlier (21:14, 21:50, and 22:10 UTC). Notably, the thread also includes reports of a ballistic missile from Iran targeting a US radar site in Erbil (21:40 UTC) and a loud explosion near the US base there earlier in the day (08:05 UTC). CENTCOM's confirmation that strikes are underway marks a major escalation: prior reports had been attributed to unverified sources.

The extent of damage or casualties at either location is not yet known. The reports rest on single-source accounts from Iranian state TV and an Al-Mayadeen correspondent, respectively, and remain unconfirmed by independent verification.

02 · How it developed

5 developments

  1. Latest

    US official confirms ongoing strikes to Fox News

  2. Tasnim denies reports of a strike on a petrochemical plant in Assaluyeh

  3. Explosions also reported in Iraqi Kurdistan north of Erbil province.

Related dispatches
03 · Source and signal

Source and signal

  • Internal intake
Desk accountability

This dispatch is published under The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. Raw intake channels remain internal provenance; an external outlet or channel is named only when it materially helps readers evaluate a specific claim.