Explosions in Strait of Hormuz as Iran reviews de-escalation proposals

Explosions have been heard on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz and tankers in the strategic waterway have caught fire after hitting mines.

Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it has lifted a self-imposed limit of 2,000 kilometres on the range of its ballistic missiles.

Here's what to know about the situation in Iran.

What's the latest?

• Explosions on Qeshm: Iranian state media reported on Saturday evening that two explosions were heard on the Strait of Hormuz's Qeshm Island, as well as several explosions in the port of Jask. It was not immediately clear what caused the blasts, with the reports suggesting they may have been linked to Iranian military activities. This comes days after the US carried out strikes on the island, but Iranian officials did not confirm there had been any strikes on the areas.
• Tankers in trouble: The Iranian military said on Sunday that two tankers caught fire after hitting mines as they attempted to pass through an "unauthorised route" in the strait. It comes after the US military said its forces disabled a St Kitts-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman after it ignored multiple warnings and attempted to leave the region after visiting an Iranian port. The US ⁠Central Command said one of its aircraft fired at the vessel's stern and disabled the ship after it attempted to violate the blockade.
• Missile range-limit lifted: Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it had lifted a self-imposed limit of 2,000 kilometres on the range of its ballistic missiles. Iran is not known to have missiles that can go beyond this range, but US officials have said technology from Iran's space program could be repurposed to build intercontinental ballistic missiles. The extended range would put parts of Greece and the Balkans, the entire Arabian Peninsula, the Levant and most of Egypt within reach.

What's next?

For weeks, US President Donald Trump has said he is considering launching a new wave of strikes on Iran after the US midterm elections, which were held on November 3.

The Middle East and beyond have been on edge about the prospects of the US resuming full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in almost two months.

The president said on Friday that the US military had carried out new limited strikes against Iran, targeting an Iranian air defence system, describing the action to reporters as "minor".

That same day, he discussed efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East in a call with Qatar's emir, the Gulf state leader's office said.

The two discussed Qatar's mediation efforts, which are aimed at reaching "a comprehensive agreement that ends the crisis and achieves security and stability in the region".

The Associated Press has reported that Iran is reviewing proposals presented by Qatar that address differences with the US about Tehran's nuclear program.

The development is raising hopes that the two sides could be inching toward indirect talks on one of the thorniest issues that Mr Trump says must be resolved as part of any deal meant to end the more than eight-month-old war.

But one of the officials stressed that the Iranians remained unwilling to engage in negotiations with the Trump administration over its atomic activities until the US agreed to several conditions.

Both officials were not authorised to comment publicly on the delicate negotiations and spoke on the condition of anonymity.