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On Sunday, Iran’s president visited victims of a devastating explosion at the Shahid Rajaei port, a critical facility in the country believed to be connected to the prior transfer of a chemical component used in missile propellant. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, resulted in 28 confirmed fatalities and approximately 1,000 injured.
President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to the scene came amid rising concerns about the explosion’s origin, following reports indicating that Iranian military officials denied the delivery of ammonium perchlorate from China. Dramatic footage from the site revealed a large crater surrounded by flames and smoke that prompted the closure of schools and businesses in the vicinity.
According to Iranian state media, firefighters worked diligently to control the blaze, aiming to fully extinguish it by the end of Sunday. Heliport operations were underway, with helicopters and large aircraft dropping seawater on the flames throughout the night.
Pir Hossein Kolivand, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent society, confirmed the number of casualties and remarked that only 190 of the injured remained hospitalized a day after the explosion. The local governor proclaimed three days of mourning in light of the tragic event.
Reports from the private security firm Ambrey indicated that the port had previously received a shipment of missile fuel in March, which was part of a larger delivery of ammonium perchlorate by two vessels from China. This chemical is essential for the production of solid propellant used in missiles and was reportedly intended to replenish Iran’s stockpile, which had been diminished by military engagements in the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
Ship-tracking data analyzed by the Associated Press corroborated the arrival of one of these vessels in the area during March, aligning with Ambrey’s findings. They stated that the explosion likely stemmed from mishandling of solid fuel related to Iran’s ballistic missile program.
In an initial response, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Reza Talaeinik refuted claims regarding the importation of missile fuel at the port, labeling foreign reports as unfounded, yet he did not clarify what materials might have detonated. He promised further information would be disclosed in due course.
Questions linger about why the chemicals were not relocated from the port, especially in light of safety concerns stemming from incidents like the catastrophic Beirut port explosion in 2020. That event, fueled by tons of ammonium nitrate, resulted in over 200 deaths and thousands of injuries. The situation is complicated by Israeli military actions targeting Iranian missile infrastructure, leaving Tehran with limited options for processing such chemicals.
Footage circulating on social media revealed smoke of a reddish hue rising from the site seconds before the explosion, indicating the possible involvement of chemical compounds similar to those in previous disasters. In a show of support, Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched emergency aircraft to Bandar Abbas following the explosion, as reported by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.
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globalnews.ca