Negligence Cited in Deadly Iran Port Blast as Death Toll Rises to 70
BANDAR ABBAS, April 30, 2025 – Iranian officials have attributed the devastating explosion at Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas to negligence and safety violations, as the confirmed death toll climbed to at least 70, with over 1,000 people injured.
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said the April 28 blast, which triggered a massive fire at Iran’s largest container port, was the result of “shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions.” He added that individuals deemed responsible had been summoned for questioning.
Authorities believe the explosion originated from undocumented cargo that caught fire and ignited further combustibles stored nearby. Iran’s Customs Administration reported that the cargo involved had not been formally registered before the incident.
The defence ministry has firmly denied speculation that the blast was related to military materials, including claims about sodium perchlorate — a chemical used in missile fuel. “No military cargo was imported or exported through the area,” insisted Brig. Gen. Reza Talai-Nik, branding foreign reports as “fake news.”
However, Ambrey Intelligence, a maritime security consultancy, told the Associated Press that the port had received a shipment of sodium perchlorate in March, suggesting the explosion may have been linked to improper handling of the material. A New York Times source also backed this theory, citing ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The CEO of Sina Marine and Port Services Development Company, which operates the affected section of the port, blamed the incident on a “catastrophic error” involving false declarations of hazardous goods.
Recovery and Damage Assessment
Firefighting operations were still underway two days after the explosion, though Hormozgan province’s crisis management director, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, said on Monday that the fire was nearly extinguished. Governor Mohammad Ashouri Taziani warned that full cleanup and restoration could take up to two weeks, as two-thirds of the port — spanning over 1,500 hectares — had been severely affected.
The tragedy has triggered public outrage, with mourners and citizens expressing frustration over what many see as preventable loss of life due to oversight and mismanagement.
