The death toll from a massive explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaei port in the southern province of Hormozgan has risen to 40, with around 1,000 others injured, according to Iranian officials. The catastrophic blast, which occurred Saturday near the strategic city of Bandar Abbas, has raised serious questions over the port’s handling of hazardous materials and possible links to Iran’s missile program.
President Masoud Pezeshkian visited victims of the explosion on Sunday and met with emergency officials, vowing a full investigation into the cause of the blast. “We have to find out why it happened,” Pezeshkian said in remarks aired on Iranian state television.
Dramatic new videos from the site show a vast crater surrounded by scorched debris, burning wreckage, and overturned containers. Thick black smoke continued to billow from the port through Sunday, prompting the closure of schools and businesses in the area. The Iranian Red Crescent reported that of the approximately 1,000 injured, only 190 remain hospitalized.
Emergency crews battled the blaze overnight using helicopters and heavy transport aircraft to dump seawater on the site. Satellite imagery from Planet Labs reviewed by the Associated Press confirmed a massive plume of smoke still hanging over the port on Sunday morning.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, but speculation has mounted regarding the presence of ammonium perchlorate, a powerful oxidizer used in the manufacture of solid rocket fuel. A report by private maritime security firm Ambrey and earlier coverage by the Financial Times linked the port to a March delivery of the chemical from China—possibly intended for use in Iran’s missile production, which has been ramped up following recent direct attacks on Israel during the conflict in Gaza.
Ship-tracking data analyzed by the AP placed at least one vessel suspected of carrying the shipment near the port during the reported delivery period.
In response to growing international speculation, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Reza Talaeinik denied that any missile fuel or military materials were stored at the site. “No sort of imported or exported consignment for fuel or military application was or is in the site of the port,” he told Iranian state TV, calling foreign media reports “baseless.”
Talaeinik offered no alternative explanation for the scale or nature of the explosion but promised further information would be released in due course.
The incident drew comparisons to the 2020 Beirut port explosion caused by ammonium nitrate, which killed over 200 people. Given that incident and Iran’s history of missile fuel development using industrial mixers at remote military sites, questions are being raised about why such volatile materials—if present—were not moved to secure locations.
Social media footage of the initial blaze at Shahid Rajaei showed reddish smoke before the detonation, further indicating the possible presence of hazardous chemicals.
In a show of support, Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched multiple emergency aircraft to Bandar Abbas to assist with recovery efforts.
As Iran begins three days of mourning declared by provincial governor Mohammad Ashouri, international concern remains high over the nature of the cargo stored at the port and the broader risks posed by the country’s military-industrial infrastructure.
Sources By Agencies
