Iran president visits injured, calls for probe into port explosion that killed dozens

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 27, 2025 3:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Iran's president connected Sunday visited those injured successful a immense detonation that rocked 1 of the Islamic Republic's main ports, a installation purportedly linked to an earlier transportation of a chemic constituent utilized to marque rocket propellant.

The sojourn by President Masoud Pezeshkian came arsenic the decease toll from Saturday's blast astatine the Shahid Rajaei larboard extracurricular of Bandar Abbas successful confederate Iran's Hormozgan state roseate to 40, with astir 1,000 others injured.

While Iran's subject sought to contradict the transportation of ammonium perchlorate from China, caller videos emerged showing an apocalyptic country astatine the still-smouldering port.

A crater, that appeared to beryllium metres deep, was surrounded by fume that prompted authorities to close schools and businesses successful the area. Containers appeared smashed oregon thrown, portion the burnt carcasses of trucks and cars sat astir the site.

"We person to find retired wherefore it happened," Pezeshkian said during a gathering with officials aired by Iranian authorities television.

Authorities described the occurrence arsenic being nether control, saying exigency workers hoped that it would beryllium afloat extinguished aboriginal Sunday. Overnight, helicopters and dense cargo craft flew repeated sorties implicit the burning port, dumping seawater connected the site. Satellite pictures taken Sunday by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press showed a immense plume of achromatic fume inactive implicit the site.

Provincial Gov. Mohammad Ashouri gave the latest decease toll, Iranian authorities TV reported. Pir Hossein Kolivand, caput of Iran's Red Crescent Society, said that lone 190 of astir 1,000 injured remained hospitalized connected Sunday, according to a connection carried by an Iranian authorities website. The politician declared 3 days of mourning.

Private information steadfast Ambrey says the larboard received rocket substance chemicals successful March. It was portion of a shipment of ammonium perchlorate from China by 2 vessels to Iran, archetypal reported successful January by the Financial Times. The chemical, utilized to marque coagulated propellant for rockets, was going to beryllium utilized to replenish Iran's rocket stocks, which had been depleted by its nonstop attacks connected Israel during the warfare with Hamas successful the Gaza Strip.

Ship-tracking information analyzed by the AP enactment 1 of the vessels believed to beryllium carrying the chemic successful the vicinity successful March, arsenic Ambrey said.

"The occurrence was reportedly the effect of improper handling of a shipment of coagulated substance intended for usage successful Iranian ballistic missiles," Ambrey said.

In a archetypal absorption connected Sunday, Iranian Defence Ministry spokesperson Gen. Reza Talaeinik denied that rocket substance had been imported done the port.

"No benignant of imported and exporting consignment for substance oregon subject exertion was (or) is successful the tract of the port," helium told authorities tv by telephone. He called overseas reports connected the rocket substance baseless, but offered nary mentation for what worldly detonated with specified unthinkable unit astatine the site. Talaeinik promised authorities would connection much accusation later.

It's unclear wherefore Iran wouldn't person moved the chemicals from the port, peculiarly aft the Beirut larboard blast successful 2020. That explosion, caused by the ignition of hundreds of tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, killed much than 200 radical and injured much than 6,000 others.

However, Israel did people Iranian rocket sites wherever Tehran uses concern mixers to make coagulated substance — meaning perchance that it had nary spot to process the chemical.

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

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin connected Sunday deployed respective exigency craft to Bandar Abbas to supply assistance.