DNA samples taken from 19 unidentified victims of Iran port blast

Both the United States and Iran are in dire need of a new nuclear agreement, despite remaining obstacles, according to an op-ed published in Gulf News.

Columnist Osama Al Sharif argues that recent developments, including the third round of indirect negotiations in Oman involving technical experts, suggest a growing momentum towards a deal, with both sides expressing cautious optimism.

He attributes this shift to several factors, including President Donald Trump's desire for a foreign policy breakthrough and Iran's vulnerability following regional setbacks.

"Trump, who was hoping to end the war in Ukraine on day one as promised, is looking for a foreign policy breakthrough," Al Sharif wrote. "While President Vladimir Putin showed little interest in embracing a deal that would require him to give up territory, the Iranians, on the other hand, appeared compromised after a series of regional setbacks in Syria and Lebanon."

The columnist added that while Trump had previously withdrawn the US from the 2015 nuclear deal and criticized it as weak, he is now actively pursuing a new agreement potentially similar to the 2015 agreement. This shift, Al Sharif suggests, is driven by Trump's desire to secure a significant foreign policy achievement.

He cautioned that “What could bog down the talks, though, are other issues, such as Iran’s long-range missile program, its support of regional proxies, and its strategic ties to China and Russia.”

Satellite images taken before and after the explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaei port show the blast’s impact on the area, with smoke rising over the site days after the incident.

A Planet Labs image from April 9 shows the port intact, while a second image from April 28 shows smoke drifting over the facility following the April 26 explosion.

The incident occurred at the Ava Nar Parsian Chemical Industries warehouse in the Meymeh district of Isfahan province, according to the provincial crisis management office.

Emergency services and firefighters were dispatched to the site. No official cause has been announced.

The blast comes amid a wave of explosions across Iran, including a deadly fire at a fuel depot in Zahedan on Monday that killed one person and critically injured two others, according to the local rights group Hal Vash.

Over the past four days, at least 73 people have been reported killed in similar incidents nationwide, including 70 killed in Saturday’s massive explosion at Rajaei port in the southern city of Bandar Abbas.

The site of Tuesday’s blast, Ava Nar Parsian, according to its website, manufactures fireworks and gunpowder and operates under the supervision of Iran’s National Security Council—the country’s highest decision-making body on security matters.

However, investigations by Iran International suggest the company may also be linked to Iran's security and military apparatus.

One of Ava Nar Parsian’s top executives, Damoun Beheshtnejad, previously held a managerial position at Nargostar Sepahan, another chemical facility in Isfahan that was the site of a major explosion in June 2021.

At the time, British newspaper The Guardian reported that the complex housed the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), a key player in the Islamic Republic’s drone program.

According to official company filings, certain decisions at Ava Nar Parsian fall under the authority of the "Intelligence Protection Organization for Weapons and Ammunition Management of Isfahan Province." The company is licensed to produce, trade, import, and export commercial, industrial, and chemical explosives.

A member of Iran’s national security and foreign policy commission said sabotage, including a possible drone attack or infiltration, must be considered among the main scenarios behind the Bandar Abbas port explosion, Iranian media reported on Tuesday.

Mohammad Mehdi Shahriari told Rouydad24 news outlet that while the blast could have resulted from negligence or an accident, security agencies were also investigating the possibility of deliberate sabotage.

“One main scenario is that this tragic event was caused by sabotage through micro-drones or an infiltrator,” Shahriari said, adding that the national security commission would seriously examine these possibilities.

He also linked the explosion’s timing to ongoing US-Iran nuclear talks, suggesting that hostile actors might have sought to disrupt negotiations. Shahriari cautioned, however, that no definitive conclusions could be drawn until investigations were complete.

Iran’s port authority said full cargo operations have resumed at Bandar Abbas’s Shahid Rajaei terminal after an explosion on Saturday that killed at least 70 people.

Saeed Rasouli, acting head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization, said 26 ships were currently docking and unloading at the port, with marine operations continuing under safety standards.

He said the blast affected about 15 hectares of the container yard, but other areas and terminals remained secure and operational. Investigations into the cause of the explosion and the contents of damaged containers are ongoing under the supervision of Hormozgan’s governor, Rasouli added.

Insurance companies are on site assessing damages, and the port authority has launched repairs in affected areas. Rasouli said port services were running at full capacity and there was no disruption to maritime or shipping operations.

Bandar Abbas’s Shahid Rajaei terminal handles around 70 million tonnes of cargo annually and includes 23 berths. Only one berth sustained serious damage in the blast, according to officials.