A massive explosion linked to a shipment of chemicals used in rocket fuel production killed at least 25 people and injured over 800 others in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on April 26.
Authorities have yet to provide a clear explanation for the blast at Shahid Rajaee Port, Iran’s busiest, which handles up to 80% of the country’s maritime traffic. However, independent experts pointed to the improper storage of sodium perchlorate, a key component in rocket fuel, as the likely cause.
State media reported on April 27 that the fire had been brought under control.
“The cause of the explosion was chemicals stored in containers,” said Hossein Zafari, spokesman for Iran’s Crisis Management Organization, blaming poor chemical storage practices at the port.
He added that prior warnings had been issued regarding the potential risks.
Private security firm Ambrey reported that the port received a shipment of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel in March, intended to replenish Iran’s missile stockpiles following attacks on Israel during the Hamas war in Gaza. Tehran has not officially acknowledged receiving such a shipment, but ship tracking data reviewed by the Associated Press indicated vessels carrying the chemical were near the port in March.
The Iranian Interior Ministry has launched a formal investigation into the incident.
The explosion occurred while Iranian and U.S. delegations were meeting in Oman for the third round of talks on Tehran’s expanding nuclear program. A fourth round is scheduled for May 3.
Although Iranian officials have not suggested the explosion was the result of an attack, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned earlier this week that security services were on high alert due to past incidents of sabotage and assassination attempts aimed at provoking a response.
Iran’s energy and industrial sectors have suffered numerous deadly accidents in recent years, often attributed to negligence, although Tehran has accused Israel of being behind several major incidents, including cyberattacks and infrastructure sabotage.
Shahid Rajaee Port is strategically located about 1,050 kilometers southeast of Tehran, near the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit chokepoint through which 20% of the world’s oil trade passes.
In response to the disaster, local officials announced the closure of all schools, universities, and offices in Bandar Abbas on April 27.
