Israel was probably behind the huge blast in Iran which killed eight people and injured 800. The explosion at Bandar Abbas occurred as the Islamic regime began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman. But its target is thought to have been a store of rocket fuel imported from China and bound for Yemen.

Authorities in Tehran moved quickly to deny any implication of sabotage, officially explaining that the accident was caused by a small fire which reached an “open container of chemicals”. Videos showed a huge billowing mushroom cloud, and the force of the blast destroyed a nearby building and shattered windows. Injured people lay on the roadside as authorities declared a state of emergency at hospitals across Bandar Abbas to cope with the influx of wounded.

However, early analysis suggests the explosion may have destroyed between 10,000 and 50,000 litres of liquid rocket fuel or related volatile propellants – a significant blow to Iran’s proxy supply chains.

Iran has increasingly relied on covert imports of rocket fuel components from China to bypass sanctions, with typical shipments delivering up to 20,000–25,000 litres per ISO tank container disguised as industrial chemicals.

Tel Aviv, for its part, has a history of targeting Iran’s rocket fuel facilities through suspected sabotage attacks. The most notable examples are the Khojir explosion of June 2020 and the Parchin site blast of May 2022.

Most analysts suspect the Khojir attack involved planting a shaped explosive charge inside or adjacent to a critical fuel storage or mixing facility, causing catastrophic secondary explosions. Both attacks were designed to resemble accidents, and both dealt major blows to Iran’s missile propellant capabilities.

Bandar Abbas serves as a key logistics hub for smuggling operations, including the type of liquid propellant used in Iranian ballistic missiles and larger drones sent to the regime’s last fully functioning proxy force – Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthi rebels.

Iranian security officials say “any speculation about the cause of the explosion is worthless”.

However, the regime’s silence may be a calculated attempt not to upset the United States, as Tehran seeks desperately needed sanctions relief through a new nuclear deal.

Donald Trump has already launched air strikes in Yemen in response to Houthi efforts to hold international shipping on the Red Sea to ransom, in protest against Israeli actions in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the US President is currently embroiled in a bitter trade war with China.

Israel, meanwhile, had become increasingly frustrated at the possibility that US-Iran talks could leave Tehran with a functioning nuclear infrastructure. It has, futhermore, been forced to refrain from launching direct air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities by Trump, who has indicated he wants to wait until the talks are concluded.

Regional experts at the Sibylline strategic risk group said there was “a realistic possibility that the explosion is a result of sabotage by a state actor,” though they did not specify Israel by name.

“In case of Iranian authorities blaming Israel, the risk of Iranian covert attacks in the form of kinetic sabotage or cyber attacks against Israeli and Israeli-affiliated targets will increase in the coming weeks,” they said in a report on the incident.

“However, Iran is currently unlikely to openly target the US, to avoid a breakdown of nuclear talks and US strikes against it.”

Multiple people are dead after a car drove into a crowd in Vancouver, Canada, in the early hours of Sunday morning (BST). The incident occurred at a street festival in the city. Multiple others have been left injured.

Vancouver Police confirmed that a “number of people” have been killed and “multiple others” injured, adding that the driver, a 30-year-old man from Vancouver, has been detained.

Eyewitness Yoseb Vardeh, a food truck operator, said he heard “an engine rev” before looking down the road and seeing “bodies everywhere”. “He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle,” he told Postmedia. 

The Police statement said: “A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured after a driver drove into a crowd at a street festival at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser shortly after 8 p.m. tonight.

“The driver is in custody.

“We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds.”

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There’s nothing quite as blissful as a sun-drenched getaway to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life and simply relax. However, with everyone vying for a spot around the pool, it can often mean competing with other holidaymakers for the best place to sunbathe.

The war to grab a sunbed has become a growing issue over the years, with some turning to unusual and occasionally even bizarre methods to ensure they have their place for the day. Now popular travel TikToker @getlostwebsite has shared an eyebrow-raising clip showing tourists running to snare themselves an early sunbed for the day.

The video shows a quiet pool area at a hotel – but within seconds people are seen running to the sunbeds, with the ambience quickly quashed. It’s not clear which resort or country the hotel is located in.

The TikToker captioned the video “Look at them go!@arkbykomi #fyp #sunbedwars #holiday Tourists race for sunbeds”.

The video sparked a big reaction on social media.

One user said: “Please tell where this is so I know where NOT to go”.

Another added “how sad” and one called the people running to the sunbeds “idiots”.

Another user wrote: “Never again will I take a holiday like this in a hotel…Villa, no issues, own space”.

One user simply asked: “I just don’t get it. Why pay £££££ to sit around a pool all day?”

Sunbed wars have been raging across Europe over recent years, with many tourists competing for the best spots and seating arrangements at hotel pools.

Recently, a British tourist discussed her joy at finally enjoying a well-deserved holiday at a luxury five-star hotel in Egypt – apart from the sunbed issue.

Mrs May, who runs the Tiktok account @themrsmay, discussed how despite being on vacation, she has to set her alarm for 6:30am in order to get to the pool and bag herself a front row seat with the best sunbed.

Sadly, this behaviour has negatively impacted many holiday makers, with 66% of the British general public admitting they deal with sunbed anxiety each time they go abroad, according to data from Silentnight.