Fresh explosions near Iran’s Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island have intensified fears of a new escalation in the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Iranian media initially reported conflicting claims about the blasts, while Israeli officials denied involvement. An American official later told Fox News that the U.S. military carried out strikes on both locations, though Washington reportedly insisted the operation does not mark a return to full-scale war. The reported strikes come as tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to rise over shipping routes, naval operations and control of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.