The United States said it had launched strikes against targets in Iran on June 11, as explosions were reported near the southern towns of Minab and Sirik, according to Iranian state media, though official Iranian sources had yet to confirm the accounts.

The reported blasts mark a sharp escalation in a confrontation that has drawn direct US military action against Iranian territory, raising the prospect of wider conflict around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf shipping lanes that carry a significant share of the world's oil.

US Central Command said its forces had begun what it described as further self-defence strikes against several targets in Iran at 5:15 PM US eastern time on the order of the commander-in-chief, framing the action as a response to what it called continued Iranian aggression, IMNA reported on June 11.

Local sources cited by Iranian outlets said four explosions had been heard in Sirik, with further blasts reported near Bandar Abbas. A local source quoted by IRIB's Persian Gulf centre said the sounds heard around Sirik came from the direction of the sea.

The Iranian Hamihan newspaper reported that explosions were heard in Asaluyeh, home to a petrochemical centre. IntelliNews-Newsbase has yet to confirm the reports. 

Additional anti-aircraft guns have also been reportedly fired in Tehran at projectiles hitting the city, according to Mehr News agency which shared a video of a jet above the city. 

Tasnim said reports of explosions on the islands of Kish and Qeshm were inaccurate, attributing the sounds to clashes in the Gulf. The IRGC in the Mehr district said claims of an enemy attack on the area or its surroundings could not be confirmed.

The reports could not be independently verified and Iranian state media said the situation was continuing to develop.