Iran’s president orders investigation into Bandar Abbas port explosion

Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni headed to Bandar Abbas on Saturday to oversee the response to the explosion at Shahid Rajaei port, local media reported.

Momeni had earlier spoken by phone with Hormozgan Governor Mohammad Ashouri and ordered a special investigation into the cause of the blast.

Iran warned against spreading speculation and false information about the explosion at Rajaei Port, saying it could disrupt rescue operations and cause public anxiety.
"The spread of false news and incorrect speculation, which disrupts rescue operations and causes public concern, must be avoided," said the government’s Information Council in a statement on Saturday.

The explosion that rocked Shahid Rajaei port in southern Iran on Saturday has killed four people so far, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB announced citing the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society’s relief and rescue organization.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Saturday denied that its defense or missile capabilities have been discussed in indirect negotiations with the United States.

"The issue of Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities has not been and is not a topic of discussion in the talks," foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei was quoted as saying by state media.

Baghaei rejected reports by "some Western media," including one by Reuters that quoted an Iranian official as saying Iran’s missile program remained a major obstacle to reaching an agreement with Washington.

Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon said Saturday that the explosion at Shahid Rajaei port in Bandar Abbas was "much smaller" than the 2020 Beirut port blast and could not be compared.

"The fire began after a container exploded near a fuel storage site," Mojtaba Amani wrote on X. He said about 300 people were injured, with damage reported to nearby buildings and vehicles, and that investigations were underway to determine the exact cause and any negligence.

Some social media users had compared Saturday’s explosion to the 2020 Beirut blast, which was triggered by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate improperly stored for six years at the port.

Iran’s state television earlier reported the Bandar Abbas explosion was not linked to an ammonia tank.