14 IRGC Members Killed In Deadly Munition Blast In Zanjan Amid Fresh US-Iran Tensions

Tehran: At least 14 members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed and 2 others were injured on Thursday after unexploded ordnance detonated during a specialised clearance operation in Zanjan province. According to the State-linked Fars News Agency, the personnel were part of a unit tasked with locating and neutralising unexploded ordnance that continues to threaten locals. 

The agency noted that roughly 1200 hectares of agricultural land in the region remain at risk, with farmers and civilians exposed to the hazards of decades-old munitions scattered across farmland.

The deaths spotlight the risky nature of ordnance disposal work, which is often carried out by military units in areas where past conflicts or training exercises have left behind dangerous remains. The local administration has repeatedly warned that such sites pose a continuing safety threat until they are fully cleared.

On the same day, the IRGC issued a sharply worded statement accusing the Trump administration of abandoning a policy of “managing the world’s energy” in favour of “disruption”. In a post on X, the IRGC claimed that a maritime blockade had been launched as part of a larger American effort to contain China, Russia and Europe.

“The Trump administration shifted from the strategy of ‘managing the world’s energy’ to ‘disruption,’ and a maritime blockade began as part of the grand disruption project to contain China, Russia, and Europe,” the IRGC wrote. It also asserted that after 20 days, assessments within the White House suggested the project had failed, and that “Tehran has become the centre of the ‘coalition against disruption.’”

The statement showed intensifying friction between Washington and Tehran at a time when both sides are publicly engaged in efforts to negotiate an end to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, even as mutual distrust remains high.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Friday expressed dissatisfaction with Iran’s most recent proposal to end the conflict. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he stopped short of rejecting the plan outright but made clear it fell short of his expectations. “They want to make a deal, but I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

Donald Trump did not specify which elements of Tehran’s proposal were problematic, but he voiced scepticism about whether a final settlement could be reached. “They’ve made strides, but I’m not sure if they ever get there,” he told journalists on the South Lawn. He also pointed to divisions within Iran’s leadership, suggesting internal discord was complicating talks.

“The leadership is very disjointed. It’s got two to three groups, maybe four, and it’s a very disjointed leadership. And with that being said, they all want to make a deal, but they’re all messed up,” Trump said. 

His comments came after Iran submitted its latest response to Washington’s amendments to a draft plan aimed at ending the conflict, part of a back-and-forth that has yet to yield a breakthrough.

Further development regarding the tensions between the US and Iran is awaited.