Iran Port Blast Death Toll Rises

BANDAR ABBAS, SUNDAY - The number of victims from the explosion at Iran's largest commercial port continues to rise. A total of 14 people have died and 750 others have been injured. The explosion occurred amid the complexities of Iran's nuclear negotiations.

The Tehran Times newspaper on Sunday (4/28/2025) reported that the explosion occurred on Saturday (4/27/2025) at 12:30 at Shahid Rajee Port. This port is 15 kilometers from Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province and is located on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the victims and their families. He also promised to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

Shahid Rajee Port is the largest commercial port in Iran. One-fifth of the world's oil passes through this port. "Fourteen people have died and 750 others have been injured," tweeted Iran's Minister of Interior Eskandar Momeni on the Telegram platform.

The authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosion. However, Iranian Government Spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that the strongest suspicion at this time is a number of barrels containing chemical liquids stored at the port.

The National Iranian Oil Processing and Distribution Company immediately issued a statement that the explosion was not related to them. The oil refinery, tanks, pipelines, and other facilities owned by the company are functioning normally.

Citing Press TV, initial reports indicate that the explosion originated from the administrative building within the port area. The explosion destroyed the building and vehicles in the vicinity. All activities at the port were immediately halted.

Chinese national television, CCTV, reported that three Chinese citizens sustained minor injuries. This information was obtained from the Chinese Consulate General in Bandar Abbas.

The government has deployed 20 disaster response teams and five helicopters to address the explosions and subsequent fires. The victims have already been rushed to the hospital. Not only are healthcare facilities in Hormozgan on alert, but those in Fars and Kerman are also prepared.

Helicopters are carrying water and dumping it over thick plumes of smoke. Meanwhile, emergency response personnel are busy evacuating survivors from the debris covering the streets.

Photos in local media show smoke and dust everywhere. Vehicles have become wrecks due to explosions, fires, or being crushed by building debris.

All schools, universities, and offices located near Shahid Rajee Port up to the city of Bandar Abbas have been temporarily closed. In Iran, Sunday is considered a working day as their holidays are Friday and Saturday.

"Authorities are dealing with the spreading smoke," said Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of the Hormozgan provincial disaster management agency.

The fire also blazed fiercely. Several parties have stated that the fire could spread to areas outside the fence of Shahid Rajee Port. One of the reasons is the strong gusts of wind.

In an interview with the BBC, the maritime risk firm Ambrey Intelligence stated that the cause of the explosion was human negligence. "There was incompetence in handling the shipment of solid fuel for Iranian ballistic missiles," the firm stated.

Ambrey Intelligence said it received reports that the rocket fuel was sodium perchlorate. The last shipment was in March 2025.

According to the testimonies of several eyewitnesses, there were a number of barrels with stickers reading "flammable." However, these barrels were not specially sealed.

Ambrey Intelligence revealed that Shahid Rajee Port has been reprimanded several times by the Iranian National Disaster Management Organization. The port management is accused of not implementing proper storage methods for chemical substances.

The blast occurred during the third round of Iran nuclear talks between Iran and the United States. The talks were held in Muscat, Oman.

Iran insists that they are developing nuclear technology to assist in the lives of civilians. This includes applications for cancer therapy and the irradiation of superior seeds in the agricultural sector. Meanwhile, the United States, along with Israel, demands that Iran completely abandon its nuclear development.

This dialogue marks the first time since 2018. U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear agreement. The agreement stated that Western countries would gradually ease economic sanctions on Iran on the condition that Iran would enrich uranium only to a low level for health or agricultural purposes.

Due to the exit of the United States, Iran has been subjected to economic sanctions once again. As a result, various reports have emerged indicating that Iran is accelerating its nuclear enrichment to a level capable of producing weapons.

In the third negotiation, the United States was represented by Steve Witkoff and Michael Anton. Witkoff is the Special Envoy of the President of the United States for the Middle East. Anton is currently the Director of Policy at the U.S. Department of State. Anton has been known as a staunch supporter of Trump for at least the last 10 years.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi stated that the parties are cautiously optimistic about the continuation of the negotiations. According to him, the US and Iran have agreed to advance the discussions to the stage of technical details.

This indicates that the parties agree to continue seeking a solution. However, the parties have not yet been able to determine what solution can be agreed upon.

Iran refuses to completely dismantle its nuclear program. This is because Iran does not want to end up like Libya and Ukraine. Several years ago, Libya and Ukraine were promised various things in exchange for dismantling their nuclear programs. However, those promises were not fulfilled. (AFP)