Massive Explosion At Iranian Port Linked To Missile Fuel Shipment Kills 4, Injures Over 500 | rssama.com

MUSCAT, Oman (AP) — A monolithic detonation and occurrence rocked a larboard Saturday successful confederate Iran purportedly linked to a shipment of a chemic constituent utilized to make rocket propellant, sidesplitting 4 group and injuring much than 500 others.

While nary 1 successful Iran outright suggested that nan detonation came from an attack, moreover Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is starring nan talks, connected Wednesday acknowledged that “our information services are connected precocious alert fixed past instances of attempted sabotage and assassination operations designed to provoke a morganatic response.”

For hours, authorities successful Iran offered nary clear mentation for what caused nan blast astatine nan port, which is conscionable extracurricular of Bandar Abbas, though they did contradict that nan detonation had thing to do pinch nan country’s lipid industry.

However, nan larboard took successful a shipment of “sodium perchlorate rocket fuel” successful March, nan backstage information patient Ambrey said. The substance is portion of a shipment from China by 2 vessels to Iran first reported successful January by nan Financial Times. The substance was going to beryllium utilized to replenish Iran’s rocket stocks, which had been depleted by its nonstop attacks connected Israel during the warfare pinch Hamas successful nan Gaza Strip.

In this photograph provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, a achromatic fume rises successful nan entity arsenic vehicles thrust connected nan roadworthy aft a monolithic detonation rocked a larboard adjacent nan confederate larboard metropolis of Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA via AP)

via Associated Press

“The occurrence was reportedly nan consequence of improper handling of a shipment of coagulated substance intended for usage successful Iranian ballistic missiles,” Ambrey said.

Ship-tracking information analyzed by The Associated Press put 1 of nan vessels believed to beryllium carrying nan chemic successful nan vicinity successful March, arsenic Ambrey said. Iran hasn’t acknowledged taking nan shipment. The Iranian ngo to nan United Nations didn’t instantly respond to a petition for remark connected Saturday.

It’s unclear why Iran wouldn’t person moved nan chemicals from nan port, peculiarly aft the Beirut larboard blast successful 2020. That explosion, caused by nan ignition of hundreds of tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, killed much than 200 group and injured much than 6,000 others. However, Israel did target Iranian rocket sites wherever Tehran uses business mixers to create coagulated fuel.

Social media footage of nan detonation connected Saturday astatine Shahid Rajaei saw reddish-hued fume rising from nan occurrence conscionable earlier nan detonation. That suggests a chemic compound being progressive successful nan blast.

Shahid Rajaei has been a target before. A 2020 cyberattack attributed to Israel targeted nan port. It came aft Israel said that it thwarted a cyberattack targeting its h2o infrastructure, which it attributed to Iran.

In this photograph provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, men locomotion done debris aft a monolithic detonation rocked a larboard adjacent nan confederate larboard metropolis of Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA via AP)

via Associated Press

Social media videos showed achromatic billowing fume aft nan blast. Others showed solid blown retired of buildings kilometers, aliases miles, distant from nan epicenter of nan explosion. State media footage showed nan injured crowding into astatine slightest 1 hospital, pinch ambulances arriving arsenic medics rushed 1 personification by connected a stretcher.

Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, a provincial disaster guidance official, told Iranian authorities tv that first responders were trying to scope nan area while others were attempting to evacuate nan site.

Hasanzadeh said that nan blast came from containers astatine Shahid Rajaei larboard successful nan city, without elaborating. State tv besides reported that location had been a building illness caused by nan explosion, though nary further specifications were offered.

The Interior Ministry said that it launched an investigation into nan blast.

Shahid Rajaei larboard successful Hormozgan state is astir 1,050 kilometers (650 miles) southeast of Iran’s capital, Tehran, connected nan Strait of Hormuz, nan constrictive rima of nan Persian Gulf done which 20% of each lipid traded passes.