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A senior Iranian lawmaker issued a stark warning to the United States following a series of explosions in southern Iran, vowing that American forces would face an "overwhelming response" and lose their security "wherever they are in the world."
Ibrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, made the remarks during a television appearance, saying Americans "must know that we will give them an overwhelming response and strip them of their security wherever they are in the world."
Explosions were reported in several southern Iranian cities and regions in the wake of U.S. strike threats against Iran.
The affected areas include Sirik and Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province, and Chabahar and Konarak in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
State-run broadcaster IRIB also reported three explosions near Tahrouyi village in Sirik and two additional blasts near Abu Musa island, close to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically significant maritime chokepoints.
Iranian state media reported that shrapnel from an attack struck Imam Ali Hospital in Chabahar.
State television quoted the incident as an act of "the criminal American regime," adding that shrapnel hit the hospital during a strike on a section of Chabahar Port.
No details on casualties or the full extent of damage to the hospital were immediately provided. Power outages were also reported in parts of the city.
Explosion sounds were also reported near Bushehr, home to Iran's only operational nuclear power plant, though Iranian media specified that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant sustained no damage. An explosion was additionally reported near Abu Musa island in the Persian Gulf.
Azizi's remarks reflect a long-standing posture by Iranian officials of threatening asymmetric retaliation in response to any military action against the country. Iran and the United States have no formal diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and tensions between the two countries have periodically escalated over Iran's nuclear program and regional influence.
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