The Shahid Rajaee port, strategically located in Bandar Abbas, faced a catastrophic explosion on Saturday evening, leading to a rising death toll currently reported at 25, with over 1,100 individuals injured, according to Iranian state media. The incident ignited a major fire that extended beyond the port area, prompting the country’s health ministry to declare a state of emergency in response to hazardous airborne pollutants and instruct civilians to remain indoors.
As the largest and most crucial shipping hub of Iran, the Shahid Rajaee port is pivotal for the nation’s economy, having accounted for 85 percent of Iran's shipping container traffic in the previous year, alongside a significant share of its oil exports, per reports from the Port and Maritime Organization. By Sunday morning, firefighting efforts had contained most of the blaze, leaving only 20 percent of it still active.
According to Iranian officials, the explosion likely originated from chemical containers, and authorities have so far ruled out sabotage or deliberate attack as causes. In a related note, Israel previously conducted a cyberattack on this port five years ago as part of ongoing tensions, but there has been no comment from Israeli officials regarding the recent incident.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, announced that the interior minister would lead an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the explosion. He also emphasized the urgency of reconstructing the damaged facilities and reopening the port. Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran's first vice president, underscored the necessity of enhancing safety regulations across all ports and industrial sites to avert similar tragedies in the future.
As the largest and most crucial shipping hub of Iran, the Shahid Rajaee port is pivotal for the nation’s economy, having accounted for 85 percent of Iran's shipping container traffic in the previous year, alongside a significant share of its oil exports, per reports from the Port and Maritime Organization. By Sunday morning, firefighting efforts had contained most of the blaze, leaving only 20 percent of it still active.
According to Iranian officials, the explosion likely originated from chemical containers, and authorities have so far ruled out sabotage or deliberate attack as causes. In a related note, Israel previously conducted a cyberattack on this port five years ago as part of ongoing tensions, but there has been no comment from Israeli officials regarding the recent incident.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, announced that the interior minister would lead an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the explosion. He also emphasized the urgency of reconstructing the damaged facilities and reopening the port. Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran's first vice president, underscored the necessity of enhancing safety regulations across all ports and industrial sites to avert similar tragedies in the future.
