Was the explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port an accident?

A review of what we know so far, plus updates from Lebanon, Gaza, Israel and Yemen.

From Al Mayadeen.

Yesterday, Saturday 26th April 2025, a massive explosion rocked the Shahid Rajaee Port in the city of Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest and most advanced container port which plays a vital role in the country’s maritime economy, as reported by Al Mayadeen and IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) among others. The blast, whose cause is still under investigation, destroyed an administrative building, damaged several vehicles, temporarily halted all the operations at the port (now partially resumed) and resulted in tens of deaths and hundreds of injured (source: IRNA).

Yesterday Fatemeh Mohajerani, the Iranian government spokesperson, said that “initial assessments suggest containers stored in a corner of the port, likely containing chemical materials, were the source of the blast”, though “the exact cause of the blast would not be known until the fire was fully extinguished”, which takes time, of course. In fact, according to an IRNA report today, citing the same Fatemeh Mohajerani, “firefighters are working to extinguish the remaining 20% of the fire”, while President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered an investigation and is in contact with the Minister of Interior Eskandar Momeni, who has been inspecting the explosion site on his behalf, until his visit this afternoon.

So, it is still to early to say what happened, though the “National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company stressed that the explosion was unrelated to the company's distribution facilities or oil pipeline networks” (source: Al Mayadeen), while Iranian state media cited today by Al Mayadeen “indicated that the explosion likely originated from a fire at a hazardous and chemical materials storage depot, with multiple containers reported to have detonated”. Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran's crisis management organization, was quoted as saying:

The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers.

The aforementioned Al Mayadeen article also mentions concerns raised by officials during inspections about unsafe storage, while the BBC quoted Ambrey Intelligence as saying that the fire was the result of…

improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles.

…and that it was aware of an Iran-flagged ship that…

discharged a shipment of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel at the port in March 2025.

Similarly, The Times of Israel titled an article as follows:

From The Times of Israel.

Funny how the British and Israelis already know exactly the cause of the fire, but we will come back to this later.

Here is CCTV footage of the moment the fire and explosion started:

…and here are other videos of the same moment, but from different perspectives:

Even from these videos, it is difficult to say what exactly happened (at least for me - I am not an expert), but it looks like a slow chemical reaction that ended up in an explosion and then a huge fire.

This afternoon the Iranian Defense Ministry spokesperson, Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, dismissed rumours on mishandled rocket fuel or military cargo as “targeted misinformation and propaganda”, stating:

Based on investigations and documented evidence, there were and are no import or export shipments related to fuel or military use in the area affected by the fire at the port.

…as quoted by IRNA, which in another article reported on messages of condolences from various countries (see also this one by Al Mayadeen): Qatar, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Cuba, Venezuela, Pakistan, Turkey, Japan, Jordan, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan Region, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Nicaragua, Kuwait, Yemen and Russia, which has even sent emergency aircraft to Iran (source: IRNA). Do you notice something? No Western countries! To be honest, I am not surprised, as we all know very well that Iranian lives are worth nothing for Western governments.

Iranian Defense Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik - from IRNA.

It is worth mentioning that this accident (?) happened during indirect US-Iran negotiations on a nuclear deal in Oman (read this Al Mayadeen article on this topic) and while US President Donald J. Trump and all Western leaders were in Rome (Italy) for Pope Francis’s funeral, thus giving an alibi to the former. But what about the Israelis? After all, no Israeli official attended the funeral in Rome, as per WION. The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that “the IDF [Israel “Defense” Forces] has denied any involvement in the explosion […] citing sources within the military”, whereas the Israeli Army Radio reported that the “explosion reportedly occurred near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base” (source: The Jerusalem Post - 26/04/2024). In another article The Jerusalem Post quoted Beni Sabti, an expert Iran researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), as saying that the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas…

is the most important port for the Iranian regime, not only because it's the largest port in Iran, but because the hub is used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to transfer weapons to terror organizations like Hezbollah and the Houthis, and to illegally transfer oil to China.

Various tankers operate there, disappearing and reappearing, essentially collecting oil from the port or bringing in goods that Iran needs.

This location and this port are extremely critical to the survival of the Iranian regime.

It’s still very early to know whether it was an accident or deliberate sabotage.

Personally, I find it hard to believe it was sabotage, especially at this time, given the ongoing talks between Iran and the United States.

It's common and widespread for some Iranian regime-affiliated figures to blame Israel. Officially, however, the regime is refraining from doing so – possibly because it’s not in their interest at this time.

The situation is very, very difficult. There are fatalities and hundreds of injured at the scene. Some are comparing this explosion to the one that occurred in Lebanon a few years ago, which destroyed everything¹. Of course, it’s not on the same scale, but it’s still a very large explosion.

The section that exploded is very, very vital to the Iranian regime’s survival. If infrastructure important to the IRGC’s oil transfer operations or the reception of vital goods was damaged, it could have a significant impact.

There are rumors right now that Iran may have been storing missile fuel there [at the port], possibly imported from China. This is just a rumor, and it must be emphasized as such.

The information is still unclear, and we need to wait for various confirmations. It’s possible that the Iranian regime will conceal the truth.

In any case, there is damage that could prove significant to the Iranian regime’s economy, especially affecting the IRGC and the weapons they transfer or receive.

Notice how he highlights the importance of the Iranian port and the Israeli knowledge of what the IRGC is doing there, yet he does not believe that it was Israeli sabotage, actually deflecting such accusations back to the Iranians. How convenient!

It is also worth reporting on this curious tweet by UK R Report that has now disappeared, but it was captured by a few X users, such as AbdiMedia - Abdollah Abdi:

Clearly Anglo-Zionists must have known something in advance, considering that the blast was felt by residents up to 50 km away, as reported in the aforementioned articles by The Times of Israel and BBC.

Of course, Benjamin Netanyahu and his ilk have stayed mum so far, but do not forget the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in August 2024 and the terrorist pager attack in Lebanon the following month, when initially Little Satan (a.k.a. Israel) denied any involvement, only to admit being behind them just a few months later, in December 2024, as I reported in the article in the link below:

In any case, whatever happened at the Shahid Rajaee Port in the city of Bandar Abbas will have an impact on Iran, considering that it “is Iran’s biggest container hub, handling almost 80% of the country’s container activities” (source: IRNA), “featuring 12 container docks, 30 cranes, and a wide range of modern facilities” (source: Al Mayadeen). So, regardless of the nature of the event (accident or sabotage), Iran will suffer from what happened yesterday and, and if an IRGC base was actually hosted there and ammunition was lost, Yemeni Ansar Allah and Lebanese Hezbollah may also suffer as well.

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From Al Mayadeen.

In the meantime, today Little Satan has restarted bombing Beirut (Lebanon) once again, as reported here by Al Mayadeen, while continuing its genocide of Palestinian in Gaza, as per Al Mayadeen, which yesterday reported a total death toll of 51,495, plus 117,524 injuries since 7th October 2023, with 56 martyrs and 108 wounded only in the previous 24 hours and with the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorating due to the ongoing Israeli blockade of food, fuel, medicines and other items.

Meanwhile three new F-35 fighter jets have been delivered by Great Satan (a.k.a. the Outlaw US Empire) to the Israeli Nevatim Airbase, thus bringing the total fleet of F-35s to 45, as reported in a separate article by Al Mayadeen, which quoted Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee as saying:

Since the beginning of the war, F-35 jets have been operating at an unprecedented pace.

YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree - from Al Mayadeen.

It is probably not a coincidence that the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) targeted the Nevatim airbase in the al-Naqab region twice in less than 24 hours with with Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missiles, between yesterday and today, as reported by Al Mayadeen, despite the ongoing US aggression on Yemen (read this Al Mayadeen article for an overview of recent US airstrikes or these two snippets from Yemen News Agency Saba: 1 and 2). I imagine that Ansar Allah tried to hit the newly delivered F-35 jets or at least disrupt their operation. As usual, there are clashing accounts, with YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree claiming that both military operations were successful, with missiles hitting the intended targets, whereas the IDF claimed interception of both Yemeni missiles.

Other YAF military operations conducted yesterday included two simultaneous drone attacks against Yafa (Tel Aviv) and Askalan, as well as operations against US warships, mainly the American aircraft carrier USS Truman, in the northern Red Sea, using multiple drones, as per Al Mayadeen, not to mention the downing of three US MQ-9 Reaper drones, each worth $30 million, over the last week alone (7 in six weeks and a total of 22 since October 2023!), as reported here and here by Al Mayadeen.

From Saba.

It is also worth reporting the following statement issued last Friday, 25th April 2025, by the Supreme Political Council, thanking the people of Yemen for their struggle and patience (source: Saba):

You have thwarted all conspiracies against our country in the past, and, God willing, you will continue to do so through your awareness, struggle, and—above all—your faith, trust in God, and reliance on Him.

How could you not, when every week you present a picture of Yemeni resilience that obliterates every scheme, crime, and deception of the arrogant, criminal enemy?

How could you not, when the relatives of the martyrs—may God have mercy on them—and the wounded—may God heal them—strike back at the American enemy with double force, dealing it painful blows in response to its crimes against civilians? Their powerful stances and unwavering resolve, shown in their public statements captured by cameras after each crime, shake the enemy and move the world.

With this brilliance and harmony alongside the leader of the revolution, Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi—may God preserve him—and the decision of the Republic of Yemen, its armed forces, and all its civil and security institutions to support our people in Gaza until the aggression ends and the siege is lifted—we are, through this noble stance and divinely guided Yemeni might, restoring Yemen’s rightful historical place among nations. No power on earth will be able to achieve any malicious goals or succeed in any conspiracy against our great nation as long as we remain united with such a high spirit, bearing our responsibility before Almighty God.

We affirm our commitment to your demands, as expressed in your honorable march, particularly the boycott of American products. We reiterate our directive to the government to promptly issue the necessary decisions, announce the implementation procedures, identify and publish the list of American products to be boycotted, inform their importers to seek alternatives, and coordinate with local authorities and media outlets on this matter.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak - from Al Mayadeen.

Moving to Israel, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak sharply criticized the conduct of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza, as reported by Al Mayadeen:

We in Israel are standing on the edge of a cliff. There is an immediate and clear danger, first to the state’s security, and also to the structure of our political system, our democracy, the identity of the state, and its future.

Israel is currently engaged in a “futile war” and that Netanyahu is compelled to keep it going.

No doubt that, if Netanyahu is forced to face investigation, he will collapse.

Three weeks ago, Netanyahu presented his vision: we will enter Gaza with force, Hamas will lay down its arms, its leadership will be expelled abroad, and afterward, conditions will arise for implementing the Trump plan. But Trump no longer supports that vision, and he [Netanyahu] is incapable of achieving a total defeat of Hamas.

There were once six army divisions in Gaza. We entered Jabalia five times, Beit Hanoun four times, and Deir al-Balah twice.

Anyone who thinks something different will happen now is mistaken.

From Al Mayadeen.

Netanyahu is also facing “major disagreements” between the political leadership and military officials within the Israeli Security Cabinet over his policies regarding the ongoing “war” in Gaza, as reported by Israeli media cited by Al Mayadeen, with Israel Hayom reporting on a “sharp verbal altercation” between military leaders and government ministers during a Security Cabinet session a few days ago, particularly on the topic of distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, which extremist ministers such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich oppose.

From Al Mayadeen.

On top of that, families of Israeli captives criticized Netanyahu for describing the return of all captives in exchange for ending the war on Gaza as an act of “surrender”, as reported by Al Mayadeen, which quoted Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is also held captive, as saying:

A prime minister who sees the return of hostages captured under his watch as surrender is a criminal against his own people.

His goal is to waste time and stay in his seat. He turned Nimrod and the hostages into pawns on his chessboard long ago.

…while Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held captive, said:

Soldiers are being sent to war without end, without purpose, and without concern for the day after.

It is possible to sign a deal tomorrow morning. An entire nation is being deceived. We are told that military pressure will return the kidnapped — it only kills them.

I will conclude this article with the following picture:

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UPDATE: Aerial footage in the video below of the explosions at the Shahid Rajaee Port in the city of Bandar Abbas show there are three different locations quite distant from one another. This strongly suggests that it was a deliberate sabotage, if not a terrorist attack, rather than an accident!

1. He is referring to the explosion in Beirut, triggered by the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The chemical, confiscated in 2014 from the cargo ship MV Rhosus and stored at the Port of Beirut without adequate safety measures for six years, detonated after a fire broke out in a nearby warehouse - Wikipedia.