Security sources in Iraq say a huge blast has hit a military base that houses pro-Iranian militias.

A member of the Popular Mobilisation Forces has been killed and eight others were wounded in the explosion. The Pentagon moved quickly to say that it was not involved in the incident.

No one else has said it was responsible for now, and security sources in Iraq have not as yet said who they believe might have been behind it.

It comes at a time of heightened alert across the Middle East, as the long-running confrontation between Israel and Iran has moved into a new phase.

On Friday, a presumed Israeli attack was carried out near the Iranian city of Isfahan - in apparent response to a major drone and missile attack that Tehran launched on Israel six days earlier.

That too was in retaliation for an earlier strike on senior Iranian military commanders in Damascus.

The conflict still seems contained to some extent for now, but the Iranian foreign minister has warned that Iran will deliver a maximum response if Israel launches significant attacks on its interests.