Iran live updates: Egypt confirms Mediterranean port fire was caused by drone

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied any involvement in the incident in Egypt on Wednesday, urging vigilance against what he called "false flag" attacks.

"Egypt is considered a friend and important partner in the region, and its security constitutes an utmost priority for us. We must all remain vigilant toward Israeli schemes and "false flag" operations that aim to undermine regional peace. The threat is clear, shared, and fears Muslim solidarity," Araghchi said Thursday.

The Departments of State and Treasury announced new sanctions targeting several Chinese and Russian entities & others accused of supporting Mahan Air, an Iranian airline sometimes used by the IRGC to transport personnel and arms.

"The United States calls on the international community, particularly companies and individuals doing business with Mahan Air or any other sanctioned Iranian carrier, to recognize the serious risks raised by continuing such engagement,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.

Thursday's move comes amid reports that China will soon send hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles to Iran -- claims Beijing has denied -- and as scrutiny of assistance provided to Iran’s war effort by China and Russia has intensified, despite repeated assertions from administration officials that the countries have not made significant contributions.

The sanctions also target an Iranian company said to support Tehran’s military by gathering intelligence on locations of American and Israeli equipment in the Middle East.

-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

A man, woman and their two-year-old child were killed in an airstrike that struck a residential house on Qeshm Island, Iran, early Thursday morning, local officials said.

The deputy governor of the province of Hormozgan, where Qeshm is located, told Iranian state media around 4:30 a.m. local time that rescuers were searching for people trapped in the rubble of a residential house that was hit by an "enemy projectile."

The Iranian Red Crescent Society posted an update later Thursday morning, saying that the parents of a family and their two-year-old child were killed and found in the rubble. Two children ages 7 and 9 were injured and taken from the residence to hospital.

ABC News has reached out to CENTCOM for comment.

Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries agreed on Thursday to establish a multinational maritime defense alliance aimed at "enhancing maritime security, protecting freedom of navigation, securing international trade and energy supply routes, and safeguarding shared maritime interests" in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Saudi defense ministry said.

The announcement came after Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting on Thursday with representatives of 43 countries and the European Union to discuss its proposal to establish the coalition.

Saudi Arabia is set to be the founding and leading country and will host the coalition’s headquarters, the Saudi ministry said.

The 13 countries joining the coalition are Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia.

-ABC News' Ayat Altawy