36 dead in port explosion, says MP

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Bandar Abbas on Sunday to oversee the response to the deadly explosion at Rajaei Port, Iranian state media reported.

Offering condolences to the families of the dead and wishing recovery for the injured, Pezeshkian said the government would pursue any issues requiring immediate action.

"We have come to closely examine the situation," he said, according to Tasnim News. Ministers of interior and transportation had arrived earlier to coordinate relief efforts.

Arman Nozarezadeh, a national canoeing champion from Iran’s Hormozgan province, was killed in an explosion at Rajaei port, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

The Ministry of Sports and Youth expressed condolences over his death, calling Nozarezadeh “one of the bright figures of Iranian watersports” in a statement carried by Tasnim.

More than 24 hours after the deadly explosion, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has not issued any condolence message. His silence contrasts with his earlier move to declare five days of national mourning instantly following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Iran’s government declared Monday a National Day of Mourning following the deadly explosion at Rajaei port, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Sunday.

She said President Masoud Pezeshkian was personally overseeing the investigation into the incident. Hormozgan province, where Rajaei port is located, had earlier declared three days of mourning.

Iran’s state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), is facing accusations of undermining the government’s diplomatic efforts with the United States, according to an analysis by KhabarOnline published on Sunday.

As indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington continue under the authorization of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, KhabarOnline said IRIB and its reporters have increasingly aired false claims and anti-diplomacy narratives, challenging the official diplomatic line pursued by President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration.

The analysis argues that since the election of the current government, the broadcaster has become a platform for opponents, using its platform to act against government decisions. This includes allegedly hosting critics of the US talks and disseminating unsubstantiated details of the discussions.

The analysis specifically mentions a state TV expert who reportedly drew a parallel between the Iran-US talks and the Northern Ireland peace process, suggesting the negotiations could lead to social divisions and even civil conflict in Iran.

KhabarOnline attributed the opposition within IRIB to figures close to Iran’s so-called hardline "shadow government," identifying Peyman Jebelli, the head of IRIB, and Vahid Jalili, brother of senior conservative politician Saeed Jalili, as key figures shaping the network’s editorial stance against the government.