A massive explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran has killed at least 40 people and injured over 1,000 others. The blast occurred on Saturday after chemicals stored in shipping containers caught fire, setting off a much larger explosion.
Eyewitness accounts and video footage show orange-brown smoke rising from the area where containers were stacked. Chemicals such as sodium or ammonia are suspected to be involved, with some reports suggesting that sodium perchlorate, a key component in fuel for Iran’s military missiles, may have been stored at the port.
Iranian officials have denied that any military material was held at the port and have blamed a “stockpile of hazardous goods” for the blast. However, experts say that poor storage can significantly raise the risk of an explosion, particularly with chemicals like ammonium nitrate.
The region’s governor has declared three days of mourning, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived at the scene to oversee relief efforts and investigate the cause of the blast. The incident comes amid high tensions in the Middle East and ongoing talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The origin of the chemicals stored at the port remains unclear, with CNN reporting that hundreds of tons of a critical chemical for fueling Iran’s ballistic missile program arrived at the port in February.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/27/middleeast/iran-tightlipped-port-explosion-intl/index.html