![Motorists drive their vehicles past a billboard depicting named Iranian ballistic missiles in service, with text in Arabic reading 'the honest [person's] promise' and in Persian 'Israel is weaker than a spider's web,' in Valiasr Square in central Tehran on April 15, 2024. Iran on April 14 urged Israel not to retaliate militarily to an unprecedented attack overnight, which Tehran presented as a justified response to a deadly strike on its consulate building in Damascus.](https://assets.christianpost.com/images/cache/image/15/25/152594_w_700_467.webp)
An enormous explosion and subsequent fire at Iran’s Shahid Rajaei port killed at least 28 people and injured about 800 others on Saturday. The blast reportedly involved a chemical used in missile propellants that had been stored at the port.
The explosion took place just outside Bandar Abbas, a city in southern Iran, prompting authorities to deploy helicopters and aircraft overnight to battle the intense blaze, The Associated Press reported.
CNN, citing state media, reported that at least 28 people died and 800 others were injured in the explosion.
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The fire erupted among containers storing hazardous chemicals, triggering additional explosions and significant damage in the vicinity, according to the newswire.
Iran’s Customs Administration attributed the disaster to a stockpile of hazardous chemical materials improperly stored at the port. The private security firm Ambrey identified the chemical involved as ammonium perchlorate, a compound typically used in solid rocket propellants.
Ambrey noted that the chemical had been delivered from China in March as part of a larger shipment intended to replenish Iran’s missile supplies, which had been significantly reduced during direct attacks on Israel amid the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, according to NPR.
Footage shared widely on social media captured the moments preceding the explosion, with reddish-colored smoke rising rapidly from the fire. A man’s voice urgently warned others to evacuate the area, shouting about imminent danger shortly before the massive blast occurred.
Videos after the explosion showed dense black smoke billowing into the sky, shattered windows, and structural damage extending miles from the epicenter.
Casualty figures provided by Iranian authorities confirm that the injured crowded local hospitals, overwhelming medical services in Bandar Abbas. Emergency medical personnel worked rapidly to manage the influx, with ambulances arriving continuously throughout the night.
One building reportedly collapsed following the explosion, but further details have not been disclosed by state media.
Iranian authorities responded by shutting down schools and offices across Bandar Abbas for Sunday due to air quality concerns. Hazardous pollutants such as ammonia, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide have significantly contaminated the local atmosphere, prompting health warnings from environmental officials.
President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly extended condolences to victims and their families.
This incident occurred amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel following a prolonged conflict involving Hamas in Gaza. Although no Iranian official explicitly labeled the explosion as sabotage or an attack, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously warned of heightened alertness among the country’s security forces in a post on X.
Araghchi stated Iran was wary of attempts at sabotage or assassination, actions historically designed to provoke a response from Tehran.
Iran and the United States coincidentally resumed negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program on the same day as the port explosion. Delegations met in Oman for a third round of talks aiming to curb Iran’s advancing nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief.
It remains unclear why Iranian officials had not relocated the ammonium perchlorate from Bandar Abbas, especially given the significant risks demonstrated by previous international port disasters.
In Beirut port in 2020, improper storage of ammonium nitrate caused an explosion that resulted in more than 200 deaths and injured over 6,000 people.
In March, Ambrey reported tracking ships believed to be carrying ammonium perchlorate, though Iranian officials have not publicly acknowledged receiving such shipments. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to media inquiries about the chemical delivery or its storage conditions.
Shahid Rajaei port, located about 650 miles southeast of Tehran on the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, has previously faced external threats.
In 2020, a cyberattack attributed to Israel targeted the port’s digital infrastructure following an alleged Iranian cyberattack against Israeli water supply systems.
