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Japan Today
30-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Epicenter of explosion at Iranian port tied to charity overseen by its supreme leader
In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) firefighters work as black smoke rises in the sky after a massive explosion rocked a port near the southern city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA via AP) By JON GAMBRELL The explosion that rocked an Iranian port, killing at least 70 people and injuring more than 1,000 others, had its epicenter at a facility ultimately owned by a charitable foundation overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office. That foundation, known as Bonyad Mostazafan, faces American sanctions over it helping the 86-year-old Khamenei 'to enrich his office, reward his political allies and persecute the regime's enemies,' the U.S. Treasury has said. Its top personnel also have direct ties to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which oversees Tehran's ballistic missile arsenal and operations abroad targeting the Islamic Republic's enemies. Those associations come as authorities still haven't offered a cause for the blast Saturday at the Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas. The port reportedly took in a chemical component needed for solid fuel for ballistic missiles — something denied by authorities though local reports now increasingly point toward a mysterious, highly explosive cargo being delivered there. A bonyad, the Farsi word for 'foundation,' wields tremendous power in Iran. The bonyads take their root in foundations set up by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi during his rule. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the shah, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini set up the bonyads to manage those assets, as well as companies seized from supporters of the shah and religious minorities, like the Baha'i and Jews. Bonyad Mostazafan, or the 'Foundation of the Oppressed,' is believed to be the largest in the country by assets, with a 2008 U.S. Congressional Research Service report suggesting it represented 10% of Iran's entire gross domestic product at the time. The Treasury in 2020 put its worth into the billions of dollars. Its network includes interests in mining, railroads, energy, steel and shipping through its Sina Port and Marine Services Development Co. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show the epicenter of Saturday's explosion struck just next to Sina's terminal at the port, shredding the facility and the containers stacked nearby. Late Sunday, Iran's semiofficial ILNA news agency quoted Saeed Jafari, the CEO of Sina, as saying there had been false statements about the cargo that detonated, which he called 'very dangerous.' 'The incident happened following a false statement about the dangerous goods and delivering it without documents and tags,' Jafari said. He didn't elaborate and access to the site has been restricted by authorities since the blast. Since its creation, Bonyard Mostazafan has been linked to the Guard. Its current president, Hossein Dehghan, reached the rank of general in the Guard and serves as a military adviser to Khamenei. Other leaders in the foundation's history have had direct and indirect ties back to the Guard. The U.S. Treasury separately describes the foundation as having business relationships or cash transactions with the country's police, the Defense Ministry and the Guard as well. 'Mostazafan has de-facto been functioning as the IRGC's 'money box,' whereby its financial assets and resources are made available to senior IRGC commanders, not least to fund terrorist activities,' alleges United Against Nuclear Iran, a New York-based pressure group, using an acronym for the Guard. In sanctioning Bonyad Mostazafan in 2020, the first Trump administration described the foundation as being used by Khamenei to 'line the pockets of his allies.' 'Despite its outsized influence in the Iranian economy, Bonyad Mostazafan operates outside of government oversight and, due to a 1993 decree by the Supreme Leader, is exempt from paying taxes on its multibillion-dollar earnings,' the U.S. Treasury said. The foundation says its affiliated companies pay taxes. On Tuesday, the Treasury issued new sanctions on China and Iran over the transshipment of sodium perchlorate and dioctyl sebacate to the Islamic Republic. Sodium perchlorate is used to produce ammonium perchlorate, a key ingredient to make solid fuel for ballistic missiles. The Treasury identified one individual from an Iranian firm as being linked to the Guard. The Financial Times in January first reported that two loads of sodium perchlorate were coming to Iran from China. Tracking data showed that one of the ships identified as carrying the load was near Shahid Rajaei in recent weeks. The private security firm Ambrey separately said that the port received the sodium perchlorate, which is described as a white, sand-like solid. Iranian Defense Ministry spokesperson Gen. Reza Talaeinik denied earlier this week that missile fuel had been imported through the port. Iranian Cabinet spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani separately described the explosion Wednesday as coming from "human error, probably.' However, no official in Iran has offered any explanation for what material detonated with such incredible force at the site. A reddish cloud could be seen in surveillance camera footage before the blast Saturday. That suggests a chemical compound like ammonia being involved in the blast, like the 2020 Beirut port explosion, in which ammonium nitrate caught fire and exploded. That cloud also resembled one seen in footage from a 1988 massive explosion in Nevada at the PEPCON plant that killed two people and injured hundreds. PEPCON, or the Pacific Engineering and Production Company of Nevada, made rocket fuel for NASA and had accumulated ammonium perchlorate that went unused after the Challenger disaster, leading to the blast. Similar reddish smoke could be seen just before a 2013 explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant filled with ammonium nitrate that killed 15 people. Separately, a health warning issued by authorities after the blast warned the public that pollutants like ammonia, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide likely were in the air. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Barnama
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
World Leaders Extend Condolences To Iran Over Deadly Shahid Rajaee Port Blast
Iranian Red Crescent rescuers work following an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, April 26, 2025. Iranian Red Crescent/WANA (West Asia News Agency) Handout via REUTERS Smoke from the explosion is seen at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, April 26, 2025. Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS TEHRAN, April 28 (Bernama-IRNA) -- Leaders and officials from countries around the world sent separate messages offering their condolences for the massive explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, which resulted in 40 fatalities, the Iranian News Agency (IRNA) reported. Leaders, foreign ministers and officials from Qatar, Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, Venezuela, Pakistan, Turkiye, Japan, Jordan, Russia, the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Nicaragua and Kuwait, in separate messages, sympathised with the Iranian people over the deadly blast. Additionally, the Hamas movement, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission expressed their condolences. bootstrap slideshow In his message, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was ready to take the necessary actions and provide assistance to address the consequences and challenges caused by the incident. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also extended condolences in a message to the families of those who lost their lives and to the people of Iran, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Ambassador to Tehran shared a message on his X account, saying, 'I am deeply shocked to learn about the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, with reports of hundreds injured.' The Nicaraguan government also issued a message, saying the nation and government of Nicaragua stand firmly with the Iranian people, government, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, his deputy Abdullah bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, also sent separate messages of condolence following the deadly explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port. The King and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia sent separate messages to President Masoud Pezeshkian, extending their condolences to the Iranian government and people.
Express Tribune
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Missile chemical shipped to Iranian port before huge explosion
In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, men carry an injured man after a massive explosion near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA via AP) In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, men carry an injured man after a massive explosion near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, April 26, 2025. PHOTO:AP Listen to article A devastating explosion at the Shahid Rajaei port in southern Iran on April 26, 2025, has raised suspicions about the potential link between the shipment of missile fuel chemicals being shipped from abroad and the blast. The explosion killed at least 25 people and injured more than 750, severely impacting the region. According to a report by the private security firm Ambrey, the port had received a shipment of ammonium perchlorate—a chemical used in missile propellant—just a month before the blast. The shipment, which came from China, arrived in March 2025 and was intended to replenish Iran's missile stockpiles, which had been significantly depleted due to the country's military involvement in recent conflicts, including direct attacks on Israel. The ammonium perchlorate was part of a larger supply of solid propellant for Iranian ballistic missiles, which has sparked concerns about the materials being improperly stored or handled at the port. The explosion, which occurred amidst critical nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States in Oman, sent shockwaves through nearby cities. Eyewitness reports and social media footage captured the dramatic moments before the explosion, showing reddish-hued smoke rising into the sky, signaling the potential involvement of chemical compounds in the blast, similar to the deadly Beirut explosion in 2020, which was also linked to hazardous materials like ammonium nitrate. While Iran has not officially confirmed the arrival of the chemical shipment, ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press places one of the vessels believed to be carrying the ammonium perchlorate in the vicinity of Shahid Rajaei port in March. This raises the possibility that the shipment was mishandled or improperly stored in the months leading up to the explosion. In the aftermath of the blast, Iranian authorities were quick to blame the disaster on the stockpiling of hazardous goods and chemicals at the port, although they have not elaborated on the precise cause. It is also unclear why the dangerous chemical materials were not moved from the port, given the history of explosions linked to chemical storage mishandling, such as the catastrophic 2020 Beirut explosion that killed over 200 people. While there has been no official statement from Iran acknowledging the connection between the explosion and the missile fuel, there are growing concerns that improper storage of these chemicals might have played a crucial role in the deadly incident.
Straits Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Death toll from blast at Iran's Bandar Abbas port rises to 25
An aerial view shows plumes of smoke rising, following a suspected explosion of chemical materials which killed multiple people and injured many others, in Bandar Abbas, Iran, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released on April 27, 2025. Social Media/via REUTERS Smoke from the explosion is seen at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, April 26, 2025. Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS DUBAI - The death toll from a powerful explosion at Iran's biggest port of Bandar Abbas has risen to at least 25 dead, with more than 700 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, as firefighters worked to fully extinguish the fire. Saturday's blast, which officials say was probably caused by chemical materials, took place in the Shahid Rajaee section of the port - Iran's biggest container hub. The force of the explosion shattered windows for several kilometres around Bandar Abbas, which is located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, tearing metal shreds off shipping containers and badly damaging goods stored inside, state media reports said. Iran's crisis management organisation said that of the 752 people who had received treatment for their injuries, 190 were still being treated in medical centres. Visiting the scene, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni told state TV 80% of the fire had been extinguished by Sunday morning and firefighting efforts would continue for a few more hours. Some operations resumed in parts of Shahid Rajaee that were not affected by the fire or damage. While chemical materials are thought to have been involved, the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be clarified and President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation. A spokesperson for the country's crisis management organisation appeared on Saturday to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee, adding that earlier warnings had highlighted potential safety risks. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani cautioned against "premature speculation", saying it was still too early to say. The incident occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, but there was no indication of a link between the two events. A series of deadly incidents has hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years, with many blamed on negligence. They have included refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coal mine, and an emergency repair incident at Bandar Abbas that killed one worker in 2023. Iran has blamed some other incidents on its arch-foe Israel, which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting Iran's nuclear programme in recent years and last year bombed the country's air defences. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Glasgow Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
At least 25 people killed and 800 injured in Iran port explosion
At least 25 people have died and 800 others were injured after a massive explosion and fire rocked a port in southern blast was reportedly linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile dumped water from the air on the fire hours after the initial explosion, which happened at the Shahid Rajaei port just as Iran and the United States met on Saturday in Oman for the third round of negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear one in Iran outright suggested the explosion came from an attack but even Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, who led the talks, on Wednesday acknowledged that 'our security services are on high alert given past instances of attempted sabotage and assassination operations designed to provoke a legitimate response'.State media offered the casualty figures, saying authorities have identified only 10 of the dead, including two were few details on what sparked the blaze just outside of Bandar Abbas, which burned into Saturday night, causing other containers to port took in a shipment of 'sodium perchlorate rocket fuel' in March, the private security firm Ambrey fuel is part of a shipment from China by two vessels to Iran, first reported in January by The Financial fuel was going to be used to replenish Iran's missile stocks, which had been depleted by its direct attacks on Israel during the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.'The fire was reportedly the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles,' Ambrey data put one of the vessels believed to be carrying the chemical in the vicinity in March, as Ambrey has not acknowledged taking the shipment and the Iranian mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment on is unclear why Iran would not have moved the chemicals from the port, particularly after the Beirut port blast in explosion, caused by the ignition of hundreds of tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000 walk through debris after the massive explosion rocked a port near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas (Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA via AP)Israel did target Iranian missile sites where Tehran uses industrial mixers to create solid media footage of the explosion at Shahid Rajaei showed reddish-hued smoke rising from the fire just before the suggests a chemical compound being involved in the blast, as in the Beirut explosion.'Get back, get back! Tell the gas (truck) to go!' a man in one video shouted just before the blast.'Tell him to go, it's going to blow up! Oh God, this is blowing up! Everybody evacuate! Get back! Get back!'On Saturday night, the state-run IRNA news agency said the Customs Administration of Iran blamed a 'stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area' for the blast, without aerial shot released by Iranian media after the blast showed fires burning at multiple locations in the port, with authorities later warning about air pollution from chemicals such as ammonia, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide in the air. Schools in Bandar Abbas were closed on Sunday.
