Israel says had no connection with Iran port blast - Times of Israel

Apr 28, 2025, 15:24 GMT+1

“We don’t know of any [Israeli] connection” to the deadly explosion in Rajaei port in southern Iran on Saturday, The Times of Israel reported citing an Israeli official.

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Israel is in close contact with US on Iran talks - Times of Israel

Apr 28, 2025, 15:18 GMT+1

Israel and the United States are in close, open contact over Tehran's disputed nuclear program, The Times of Israel reported on Monday citing an Israeli official.

“We have a dialogue with the Americans, the dialogue is not one-sided and we also express positions,” the official was quoted as saying.

“There is an ongoing dialogue on many levels. I would urge you to avoid premature conclusions. There is a good, intimate relationship between the governments.”

Missing women feared after port explosion, says official

Apr 28, 2025, 14:48 GMT+1

Many young women are missing following the deadly explosion at Rajaei port, said a labor official on Monday.
“Three female workers were confirmed dead and one remained missing, while numerous families have reported their daughters lost at the site,” Esmail Hajizadeh, executive secretary of the Hormozgan Workers' House, told ILNA news outlet.

He added that many truck drivers are also unaccounted for.
"Families are wandering the port, desperately searching for their children," Hajizadeh said.

Port fire persists despite official assurances

Apr 28, 2025, 14:38 GMT+1

90% of the fire at Rajaei port had been extinguished, with full containment expected after final cleanup operations, said the head of Bandar Abbas Fire Department on Monday.
“The blaze would be fully under control within hours,” said Mohammad Amin Liaghat. However, despite repeated official claims since the morning, images from the scene showed fires still burning.

Firefighters were awaiting permits to deploy additional vehicles and equipment to avoid further injuries among emergency crews, Bandar Abbas mayor Mehdi Nobani told Mehr News Agency.

US-Iran talks risk empowering Tehran, Israeli think-tank says

Apr 28, 2025, 13:27 GMT+1

Revived US-Iran nuclear negotiations risk empowering Iran and accelerating a strategic shift away from Washington’s traditional influence in the Middle East, according to an analysis by Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.

Arab states, particularly in the Persian Gulf, have adopted a cautious stance toward the talks, not out of trust in Tehran but out of skepticism toward US reliability, political analyst Dalia Ziada wrote. "The muted Arab response is a hedging strategy."

Meanwhile, regional powers are advancing their own nuclear programs. Egypt is building a Russian-backed civilian nuclear plant at El Alamein and has recently conducted its first-ever joint military exercise with China, the article pointed out.

Saudi Arabia’s atomic energy project is progressing, with Riyadh exploring cooperation with China and Russia if the US does not allow domestic enrichment.

"Arab states are learning to live with ambiguity," Ziada wrote, adding that many are leveraging new relationships with Beijing and Moscow to balance Washington’s influence.

Officials summoned over deadly port explosion, says minister

Apr 28, 2025, 13:07 GMT+1

Several individuals were summoned over the explosion at Rajaei port that killed tens of people, said Iran's interior minister on Monday.

Eskandar Momeni told a crisis meeting the blast was linked to failures in civil defense and safety protocols.
"A committee determined that shortcomings, including failure to observe passive defense and safety measures, contributed to the incident," he added.
He said that the number of missing or unidentified bodies matches the confirmed death toll. According to the minister, only about 3,500 out of 130,000 containers at Rajaei port were affected by the fire.

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