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Explosion at Iran’s Largest Port: Investigation and Updates
Firefighters continued their efforts to extinguish the remaining blazes at a major Iranian port on Monday, following a devastating explosion that occurred two days earlier.
According to Iran’s Minister of Interior, Eskandar Momeni, negligence played a significant role in the catastrophic incident that took place at Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, which has resulted in at least 70 fatalities.
Momeni stated that the explosion and the subsequent fire, which left over 1,000 individuals injured, were due to “shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions and negligence.” He also mentioned that several individuals considered accountable for the incident are being questioned.
Initial reports from customs authorities indicated that the blast was triggered when imported cargo ignited. The Iranian defense ministry has countered claims by foreign media suggesting that the cause was related to a shipment of a chemical used in missile fuel.
On Monday, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, the crisis management director for Hormozgan province, reported that firefighting operations at the port were nearing completion. However, Hormozgan Governor Mohammad Ashouri Taziani cautioned that clean-up efforts might span several more days, estimating a timeline of one to two weeks before normalcy is restored at the facility.
The governor further assessed that approximately 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of the port area—nearly two-thirds of the site—sustained severe damage from the blast.
Reports from the Customs Administration indicated that the cargo that ignited had not been registered or officially declared prior to the explosion, according to the Isna news agency.
In a related statement, the CEO of Sina Marine and Port Services Development Company, which operated the affected area, attributed the incident to a “repeated and catastrophic error involving false declarations of hazardous goods.”
Additionally, the defense ministry dismissed reports linking the explosion to mishandling sodium perchlorate, a solid fuel associated with ballistic missile operations. Brig Gen Reza Talai-Nik asserted that there were no activities involving military-related cargo at the site and criticized foreign outlets for disseminating “fake news.”
However, Ambrey Intelligence, a maritime risk consultancy, informed the Associated Press that a shipment of sodium perchlorate had arrived at the port the previous month, suggesting that the explosion was likely due to improper handling. Furthermore, the New York Times cited an anonymous source connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who claimed that sodium perchlorate was indeed involved in the explosion.
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