Iran shopping centre fire leaves at least eight dead and 40 injured in inferno

At least eight people have been killed and 40 are injured after a huge fire erupted at a shopping centre in Iran . The blaze ripped through the Arghavan shopping centre in Andisheh town, Tehran, sending a massive plume of smoke into the air. The local fire department said flammable cladding on the building caused the flames to spread quickly, with authorities having launched a probe into the tragedy. Panicked bystanders were seen gathered outside the building as the fire raged on. There is no indication the incident was linked to the ongoing war in Iran , sparked by a joint US-Israeli strike on the country on February 28. The fire came after US military leaders insisted a ceasefire between the two nations remains in effect following recent attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. The fragile truce, reached almost a month ago, came under renewed pressure after Iran was blamed for an attack on a major oil refinery in the UAE on Monday, which left three Indian nationals injured. The UAE accused Iran of launching "a barrage" of missiles and drones at the port of the eastern emirate of Fujairah. Donald Trump announced last night that the US had paused 'Project Freedom' - an operation launched on Monday to guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the pause will last "for a short period of time" to see if a peace deal with Iran "can be finalised" - but that the US's blockade of Iran's ports will continue. This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link . You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage .