logo
Iran tight-lipped on cause of deadly port explosion amid reports of possible presence of chemicals used to fuel missiles

Iran tight-lipped on cause of deadly port explosion amid reports of possible presence of chemicals used to fuel missiles

CNN —
Iranian authorities have not said what caused the massive explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, killing at least 28 people, but video footage and unconfirmed reports point to the possible presence of a chemical used to make missile propellant.
Eyewitness accounts and video indicate chemicals in an area of shipping containers caught fire, setting off a much larger explosion. The death toll spiked sharply following the incident, with 800 others also reported injured.
One surveillance video distributed by the Fars news agency shows a small fire beginning among containers, with a number of workers moving away from the scene, before a huge explosion ends the video feed.
CNN has previously reported that hundreds of tons of a critical chemical for fueling Iran's ballistic missile program arrived at the port in February. Another shipment is reported to have arrived in March.
The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency quoted an official as saying the explosion was likely set off by containers of chemicals, but did not identify the chemicals. The agency said late Saturday that the Customs Administration of Iran blamed a 'stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area' for the blast.
Charred merchandise and containers lie at the site of the deadly port explosion.
Meysam Mirsadeh/Tasnim News/AFP via Getty Images
Iran's national oil company said the explosion at the port was 'not related to refineries, fuel tanks, or oil pipelines' in the area.
Iranian officials have denied that any military materiel was held at the port. The spokesman for the national security and foreign policy committee of the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Rezaei, said in a post on X Sunday that according to initial reports the explosion had 'nothing to do with Iran's defense sector.'
The blast comes at a time of high tensions in the Middle East and ongoing talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme, but no senior figure in Iran has suggested the blast was an attack.
Videos and images from the scene, some of which have been geolocated by CNN, show orange-brown smoke rising from part of the port where containers were stacked. Such a color would suggest a chemical such as sodium or ammonia was involved.
Fires at the port were still burning Sunday, although Iranian state media said they were 80% contained.
The New York Times reported Sunday that a person 'with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that what exploded was sodium perchlorate, a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.'
CNN cannot confirm what was being stored in the area at the time of the explosion and it is unclear why such chemicals would be kept at port for so long.
Men ride a motorcycle amid the devastation.
Mohammad Rasole Moradi/IRNA/AFP via Getty Images
In February CNN reported that the first of two vessels carrying 1,000 tons of a Chinese-made chemical that could be a key component in fuel for Iran's military missile program had anchored outside Bandar Abbas.
The ship, Golbon, had left the Chinese port of Taicang in January loaded with most of a 1,000-ton shipment of sodium perchlorate, the main precursor in the solid propellant that powers Iran's mid-range conventional missiles, according to two European intelligence sources who spoke with CNN.
Sodium perchlorate could allow for the production of sufficient propellant for some 260 solid rocket motors for Iran's Kheibar Shekan missiles or 200 of the Haj Qasem ballistic missiles, according to the intelligence sources.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry told CNN in February that 'China has consistently abided by export controls on dual-use items in accordance with its international obligations and domestic laws and regulations,' adding that 'sodium perchlorate is not a controlled item by China, and its export would be considered normal trade.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Israel alleges Gaza rescuer spokesman linked to Hamas, claim denied - War on Gaza
Israel alleges Gaza rescuer spokesman linked to Hamas, claim denied - War on Gaza

Al-Ahram Weekly

time19 hours ago

  • Al-Ahram Weekly

Israel alleges Gaza rescuer spokesman linked to Hamas, claim denied - War on Gaza

Israel's army on Sunday accused the spokesman for Gaza's civil defence, a rescue group operating in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, of being a Hamas "terrorist" -- an allegation he denied. Citing documents found during its forces' Gaza offensive, the military said Mahmud Bassal was "an active terrorist" in the Islamist Palestinian militant group. It issued copies of what it said were Hamas membership lists to the media, without clarifying where or how the undated documents were obtained. The Israeli military accused Bassal of serving Hamas's objectives by spreading false and unverified information about its operations in Gaza. "This is a false accusation," Bassal told AFP. "I do not work for any military organisation," he said, adding that the agency's mission was guided by international law. The civil defence agency has operated in the Gaza Strip for decades, deploying rescuers to rush victims of Israeli air strikes to the hospital. The organisation is often cited by international media outlets. With access restricted and conditions on the ground chaotic, it remains nearly impossible to independently verify casualty figures or the circumstances of deaths reported by the agency. The army's accusation comes as it faces criticism from the civil defence, which alleges Israeli forces recently killed civilians near food distribution centres. The Israeli war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, and has killed 54,772, the majority civilians. The UN considers these figures reliable. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:

Trump Says China Agrees to Resume Rare Earth Flow
Trump Says China Agrees to Resume Rare Earth Flow

See - Sada Elbalad

time2 days ago

  • See - Sada Elbalad

Trump Says China Agrees to Resume Rare Earth Flow

Taarek Refaat US President Donald Trump revealed on Friday evening that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to resume the flow of rare earth minerals to the United States. "We've come a long way with the agreement with China," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Beijing has stepped up its use of rare earth minerals as a strategic lever through a stringent export licensing regime modeled after US sanctions, a move that is reshaping the trade war between China and the United States. These measures give China unprecedented control over a vital joint in global supply chains, amid growing concern in Western capitals. During his remarks aboard Air Force One, he stated that he believes the US is "doing very well" despite ongoing trade tensions and economic uncertainty. He noted that there has been "a lot of progress" on the agreement with China ahead of Monday's discussions. Recent weeks have seen intense activity by international companies seeking to secure mineral export licenses from China, following the inclusion of advanced types of rare earth minerals on a regulatory list last April. In the latest development, US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Thursday evening to discuss this vital issue, amid the shutdown of some European production lines due to supply shortages. Meanwhile, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro said on Friday that a meeting between US and Chinese officials on trade is scheduled to take place within seven days. China produces approximately 70% of the world's rare earth minerals and has a monopoly on processing technologies, giving it an unparalleled industrial advantage. With the implementation of the new licensing system, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce effectively controls the flow of vital raw materials for auto, technology, and defense industries around the world. This week, some European companies were forced to suspend production after their stocks ran out, threatening a wider wave of industrial disruptions if Chinese approvals continue to be delayed. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan

UPDATED: Madleen sailing through Egyptian waters on way to break Israeli siege on Gaza - War on Gaza
UPDATED: Madleen sailing through Egyptian waters on way to break Israeli siege on Gaza - War on Gaza

Al-Ahram Weekly

time2 days ago

  • Al-Ahram Weekly

UPDATED: Madleen sailing through Egyptian waters on way to break Israeli siege on Gaza - War on Gaza

An aid ship with 12 activists on board, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, is sailing through Egyptian waters and is nearing the besieged Palestinian territory, organisers said on Saturday. The Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left Sicily last week with a cargo of relief supplies "to break Israel's blockade on Gaza". "We are now sailing off the Egyptian coast," German human rights activist Yasemin Acar told AFP. "We are all good," she added. In a statement from London on Saturday, the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza -- a member organisation of the flotilla coalition -- said the ship had entered Egyptian waters. The group said it remains in contact with international legal and human rights bodies to ensure the safety of those on board, warning that any interception would constitute "a blatant violation of international humanitarian law". European parliament member Rima Hassan, who is on board the vessel, urged governments to "guarantee safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla." The Palestinian territory has been under an Israeli naval blockade since 2007, long before the outbreak of Israel's devastating war on Gaza in October 2023. The blockade, coupled with repeated military incursions over the years, has devastated Gaza's infrastructure and economy, exacerbating poverty and limiting access to basic services like healthcare and clean water. In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 civilians during a raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, part of a similar aid flotilla attempting to break the blockade. In May, another Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, reported coming under drone attack while en route for Gaza, prompting Cyprus and Malta to send rescue vessels in response to its distress call. There were no reports of any casualties. Earlier in its voyage, the Madleen changed course near the Greek island of Crete after receiving a distress signal from a sinking migrant boat. Activists rescued four Sudanese migrants who had jumped into the sea to avoid being returned to Libya. The four were later transferred to an EU Frontex vessel. Launched in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a coalition of groups opposed to the blockade on humanitarian aid for Gaza that Israel imposed on March 2 and left more than two million Palestinians on the verge of starvation. Israel has faced mounting international condemnation over the resulting humanitarian crisis in the territory, where the United Nations has warned that the entire population of more than two million is at risk of famine. For more information and live updates on the current Freedom Flotilla mission, visit: Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store