Four people died as a strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Iran Wednesday near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, state media said.

President's senior advisor said that all the promises made by the ministry of oil during the cabinet's first provincial tour in Hormozgan Province have been fulfilled.

Text of report in English by Iranian news agency IRNA website Bandar Abbas, 9 June: Following a devastating tropical storm, Cyclone Gonu, which hit Persian Gulf region a cargo ship sank in the coastal waters of Haghani jetty in Bandar Abbas on Wednesday, it was announced on Saturday.

By JIM KRANE MUSCAT, Oman - Cyclone Gonu battered Oman's coast Thursday, flooding highways and tearing down trees and power lines but sparing the region's oil industry. At least 23 people were killed in deaths related to the cyclone - a rarity in the Middle East.

By JIM KRANE MUSCAT, Oman - Semi-trucks were trapped in flooded highways here Thursday after Cyclone Gonu battered Oman's coast on its path toward the world's most important crude oil tanker route. At least 15 storm-related deaths were reported.