Tehran newspapers split over causes of port explosion

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered assistance to Iran after a deadly explosion tore through Rajaie Port, state RIA news agency reported.

Putin conveyed condolences to Iran’s leadership over the casualties and pledged Russian aid to manage the aftermath, according to RIA.

The explosion hit Rajaei Port, a critical hub at Bandar Abbas, where Iranian officials said operations outside the blast zone were continuing despite the scale of destruction.

The following new video shows the moment of the explosion at the port on Saturday.

Only one area of southern Iran’s Rajaei port has been affected by a major fire, Minister of Roads Farzaneh Sadegh said, with operations continuing elsewhere.

"Loading and unloading activities are proceeding normally in other zones of Rajaei port," Sadegh said.

She added that firefighting efforts had made "good progress" and the situation was under control.

Videos published by Iranian media showed Revolutionary Guard planes dumping water on the extensive blaze.

Emergency teams have not yet fully contained the fire, which continues to threaten key parts of the port.

While conservative outlets attributed the blast to safety failures, one reformist-aligned paper warned of sabotage linked to foreign adversaries.

Kayhan, Vatan-e-Emrooz, and Javan, outlets close to Iran’s security establishment, attributed the explosion to negligence in container safety. Javan accused “external enemies of spreading disinformation.”

In contrast, Ham-Mihan, a reformist-leaning daily, suggested the timing of the explosion — coinciding with Iran-US negotiations in Muscat — was unlikely to be accidental.

“It is improbable that the explosion’s concurrence with the start of technical talks between Iran and America is coincidental,” the editorial said.

The paper cited US President Donald Trump’s past comments on Israeli operations, saying Washington might tolerate Israeli non-military acts of sabotage. Ham-Mihan argued the port blast may have been subcontracted to proxies rather than being a direct Israeli operation.

The editorial read, “In a country of 85 million, at least ten thousand individuals have sensitive access; without patriotism, they could deal irreversible blows.”

Kayhan countered that linking the explosion to the Muscat negotiations was based on “unsupported narratives spread by fake news networks,” and urged authorities to clarify whether the explosion resulted from negligence or other factors.

The official cause of the explosion remains under investigation, as calls grow for a transparent and detailed accounting.

As speculation grows, Israel’s Maariv newspaper reported Saturday that Israeli military sources said the army had no involvement in the explosion at Iran’s Rajaei Port.

Reuters reported Sunday that the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and military declined to comment when asked about any possible role.

The New York Times and Associated Press wrote that the explosion may be linked to mishandling of sodium perchlorate shipments, a key component in solid-fuel ballistic missiles.

According to security sources cited in the reports, the chemical was previously transferred from China to Iran aboard the vessels. Iranian authorities have not confirmed receipt of the cargo and have said investigations are ongoing.

Recent years have seen a series of deadly incidents hitting Iran’s industrial and energy infrastructure, often blamed on negligence. However, Iranian authorities have previously accused Israel of sabotage, including a 2024 pipeline attack and a 2020 cyberattack on the Rajaei Port.

An Iranian lawmaker has lauded the performance of the country's negotiating team in ongoing talks with the United States, expressing optimism that a successful outcome could significantly alleviate Iran's economic and livelihood challenges.

"We extend our thanks to the negotiating team. We have witnessed a commendable performance so far, and we hope this trend will continue," Osman Salari, a member of the Iranian parliament’s Judicial and Legal Committee, said on Sunday. "Successful negotiations will have significant effects on resolving economic and livelihood issues."

Salari added that Iran remains confident in the talks, citing what he described as the country's "strong logic" and commitment to principles of justice. "We are not afraid of negotiations," he said.