Witnesses told Reuters that they heard a loud blast in central Dubai of the UAE on Thursday, while the Dubai Government Media Office denied the authenticity of the report issued by Reuters about the sound of explosions in central Dubai.

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The Dubai Government Media Office stressed that the information contained in it is incorrect, urging media and the public to obtain news and information from official and reliable sources, to verify accuracy before publishing or circulating any information, and to avoid spreading rumors, false news and press reports.

Iran and the United States intensified mutual attacks on Thursday in an escalation that has been ongoing for a week, undermining the continuation of a truce they reached last month, but Iran's release of an American citizen indicated the possibility of a path to avoid resuming all-out war.

The United States launched two major waves of airstrikes in one day on Wednesday, mostly targeting sites near the coast in southern Iran, for the first time since a memorandum of understanding halted fighting last month.

Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at US military bases in neighboring countries, including targeting an air base in Jordan that was recently expanded.

After Tehran resumed closing the Strait of Hormuz, Washington reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports as of yesterday. The US military said it fired on a tanker near the Iranian island of Kharg, as Hellfire missiles struck its smokestack.

In a possible next step, Iran hinted that it might push its Houthi allies in Yemen to close another major strait, the Bab al-Mandab at the entrance to the Red Sea. Sources told Reuters that Iran has already informed the Houthis to close it if Washington carries out its threats to attack Iranian infrastructure.

The escalating bombardment over a week showed that the two sides are approaching the limits of escalation they set during four months of fighting before last month's truce. But as attacks continued, US President Donald Trump welcomed the release of an American citizen in Iran, describing it as a 'goodwill gesture.'

The renewed escalation has largely halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important shipping lane for oil and gas, driving up global energy prices.

Fighting resumed last week when Iran struck ships moving through a passage in the strait, causing a serious fire on board a Qatari tanker carrying liquefied natural gas.

Iranian sources told Reuters that Iran's goal is to solidify its authority over the strait, but Tehran otherwise does not want a broader escalation that would blow up the initial agreement reached in June, which it still believes achieved most of what it was seeking.

Inside Iran, the renewed bombing has left the population anxious, following massive week-long mourning ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which authorities portrayed as evidence of victory and national solidarity.

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