Latest news with #Iran-flagged
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Iran port explosion: Mourning turns to anger after blast kills 40
In Iran, mourning is turning to anger after a huge blast at its largest commercial port killed at least 40 people and injured more than 1, explosion happened on Saturday morning at Shahid Rajaee port. Many people rushed to hospitals up and down the country to give blood.A day later, fires are still blazing as a thick black cloud of toxic chemicals hangs over the surrounding in nearby towns and cities have been told by the health ministry to stay indoors "until further notice" and wear more protective the nearby southern city of Bandar Abbas, home to the Iranian Navy's main base, all schools and offices were ordered to shut on Sunday to allow authorities to focus on the emergency effort, state TV said.A local festival not far from Shahid Rajee Port that was supposed to be a celebration spontaneously turned into a solemn occasion for remembering the dead and praying for the declared a day of national mourning on Monday, with an additional two days of mourning in Hormozgan is a reminder that while Iran has been rocked physically by the blast - residents up to 50km (31 miles) away reported feeling the effects - the country is now being rocked by a growing blame game too. Ambrey Intelligence, a private maritime risk consultancy, said it believed that intense fires that could be seen spreading between containers before the explosion were a result of "improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles".The firm said it believed the affected containers had contained solid fuel destined for ballistic missiles, and was aware that an Iran-flagged ship "discharged a shipment of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel at the port in March 2025".The New York Times quoted a person with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying that what exploded was sodium perchlorate - a major ingredient in solid fuel for Iranians are asking whether they should believe speculation on social media which said Iran's military and Revolutionary Guard were storing rocket fuel that they had recently imported from China at the port – a claim which has been denied by an army spokesman. Many in Iran are blaming the authorities for incompetence and worse, asking: How could so much inflammable material apparently be left on the port without due care? That is a question that the Iranian regime will need to address. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited the scene of the explosion on Sunday, saying: "We have come to see first-hand if there is anything or any issue that the government can follow up on."Pezeshkian had previously ordered an investigation into the cause of the blast, sending the interior minister to the region to lead ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik later told state TV that "there has been no imported or exported cargo for military fuel or military use in the area".The port's customs office said in a statement carried by state television that the explosion probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazardous and chemical materials' storage depot. There is also the question of whether Iran's economy may be affected, given the port handles nearly 80% of the country's Saturday, authorities were warning of possible food shortages in the near term with the port out of action for some time. A day later, they were playing that down, saying that the explosion only affected a part of the port and that the rest is functioning image from Iran's Tasnim news agency on Sunday showed a helicopter flying through a sky blackened by smoke to drop water on the disaster-struck area, AFP showed firefighters working among toppled and blackened cargo containers, and carrying out the body of a victim. The authorities have closed off roads leading to the site. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered that multiple specialist firefighting aircraft be sent to Iran to help deal with the aftermath of the foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP on Sunday that three Chinese victims were in a "stable" condition and that it had received no further reports of the condolences being sent were from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, Turkey, the United Nations and explosion ripped through the port as Iranian and US delegations were meeting via mediators in Oman for high-level talks on Tehran's nuclear programme, with both sides reporting has said it is open to curbs on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions easing but has insisted it will not stop enriching uranium. It insists its nuclear programme is for civilian use.
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-03-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
US Imposes Sanctions on Iranian Oil Minister
The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and some Hong Kong-flagged vessels that are part of a shadow fleet that helps disguise Iranian oil shipments, the Treasury Department said. President Donald Trump re-imposed a "maximum pressure" policy on Iran in February that includes efforts to drive its oil exports to zero in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and funding militant groups. Paknejad "oversees the export of tens of billions of dollars' worth of Iranian oil and has allocated billions of dollars' worth of oil to Iran's armed forces for export," Treasury said in a statement. 'The Iranian regime continues to use the proceeds from the nation's vast oil resources to advance its narrow, alarming self-interests at the expense of the Iranian people,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. 'Treasury will fight and disrupt any attempts by the regime to fund its destabilizing activities and further its dangerous agenda.' Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Treasury also designated owners or operators of vessels that have delivered Iranian oil to China or lifted it from storage there, it said. Those were in multiple jurisdictions, including India and China, it said. Iran's military relies on a vast shadow fleet of ships to disguise shipments of oil worth billions of dollars to China. Thursday's designated vessels include the Hong Kong-flagged Peace Hill and its owner Hong Kong Heshun Transportation Trading Limited, the Iran-flagged Polaris 1, the Seychelles-registered Fallon Shipping Company Ltd, and the Liberia-registered Itaugua Services Inc, Treasury said. The US Department of State is designating three entities and three vessels as blocked property, it said.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US imposes sanctions on Iranian oil minister, shadow fleet
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on Iran's oil minister Mohsen Paknejad and some Hong Kong-flagged vessels that are part of a shadow fleet that helps disguise Iranian oil shipments, the Treasury Department said. Paknejad "oversees the export of tens of billions of dollars' worth of Iranian oil and has allocated billions of dollars' worth of oil to Iran's armed forces for export," Treasury said in a statement. Treasury also designated owners or operators of vessels that have delivered Iranian oil to China or lifted it from storage there, it said. Those were in multiple jurisdictions, including India and China, it said. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Iran's military relies on a vast shadow fleet of ships to disguise shipments worth billions to China. Thursday's designated vessels include the Hong Kong-flagged Peace Hill and its owner Hong Kong Heshun Transportation Trading Limited, the Iran-flagged Polaris 1, the Seychelles-registered Fallon Shipping Company Ltd, and the Liberia-registered Itaugua Services Inc, Treasury said. The U.S. Department of State is designating three entities and three vessels as blocked property, it said.
Al Arabiya
13-03-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
US imposes sanctions on Iranian oil minister, shadow fleet
The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and some Hong Kong-flagged vessels that are part of a shadow fleet that helps disguise Iranian oil shipments, the Treasury Department said. Paknejad 'oversees the export of tens of billions of dollars' worth of Iranian oil and has allocated billions of dollars' worth of oil to Iran's armed forces for export,' Treasury said in a statement. Treasury also designated owners or operators of vessels that have delivered Iranian oil to China or lifted it from storage there, it said. Those were in multiple jurisdictions, including India and China, it said. Iran's military relies on a vast shadow fleet of ships to disguise shipments worth billions to China. Thursday's designated vessels include the Hong Kong-flagged Peace Hill and its owner Hong Kong Heshun Transportation Trading Limited, the Iran-flagged Polaris 1, the Seychelles-registered Fallon Shipping Company Ltd, and the Liberia-registered Itaugua Services Inc, Treasury said. The US Department of State is designating three entities and three vessels as blocked property, it said. 'The Iranian regime and its military are stealing the nation's oil wealth with the help of Mohsen Paknejad, the head of Iran's Oil Ministry,' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. 'Today's action advances President (Donald) Trump's policy of maximum pressure on the Iranian regime, which is designed to end Iran's nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop it from supporting or rebuilding its terrorist proxy groups, including by driving Iran's oil exports to zero – especially oil exports to China,' he said. 'We will continue to disrupt illicit funding to curb malign activities, limit the financial resources available to corrupt officials, and use all the tools at our disposal to hold the regime accountable.'
