Iran Authorities Attribute Port Explosion to Negligence Amid Rising Casualties

Iran's Shahid Rajaee port faced a devastating explosion linked to safety violations. The nation's officials disclosed that multiple individuals are under investigation as the clean-up continues amidst ongoing safety concerns.

Iran's interior minister, Eskandar Momeni, has announced that negligence and safety violations contributed to the catastrophic explosion and subsequent fire at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, has tragically resulted in at least 70 fatalities and left over 1,000 others injured. Momeni described the explosion as a consequence of “shortcomings” in safety protocols, revealing that authorities had summoned several individuals for questioning regarding their roles in the disaster.

According to reports from customs officials, an imported cargo caught fire and led to the massive explosion. In response, the Iranian defense ministry has refuted claims made by foreign media linking the explosion to a shipment of missile fuel chemicals, insisting that there was no hazardous military cargo involved.

Crisis management director for Hormozgan province, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, reported on Monday that firefighting efforts were nearing completion, though cleanup operations at the port might take an additional one to two weeks to fully restore the site to normalcy. Momeni shared an estimate suggesting that approximately 1,500 hectares—nearly two-thirds of the area—were severely affected by the explosion.

The explosions' aftermath has led to growing unrest among Iranian citizens, some expressing outrage over the implications of negligence at such a critical site. Sina Marine and Port Services Development Company, the contractor overseeing operations in the impacted area, pointed to repeated errors involving misleading declarations of hazardous materials.

Additionally, Ambrey Intelligence, a maritime consultancy, has indicated that sodium perchlorate was a part of the cargo at the port and that its mishandling could have contributed to the explosion. This suggestion aligns with reports citing a source connected to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, fueling further speculation about safety breaches within Iran's import and export practices.

As investigators delve deeper into the causes behind this disaster, the Iranian public remains on high alert regarding safety at vital national infrastructure sites.