Insurers limit liability in port blast as Iran promises fast-track payouts

An Iranian official says the explosion that struck Rajaei port engulfed a 15-hectare section of the container yard.

“The cause (of the explosion) and contents of the damaged containers are being investigated under the supervision of the Hormozgan governor general,” said Saeed Rasouli, acting head of the Ports and Maritime Organization on Tuesday.

He said operations at other terminals remain “completely safe and active.”

According to authorities, the blast killed 70, left six missing, and injured over 1,000.

Iran's exiled prince Reza Pahlavi accused the Islamic Republic of covering up the explosion at Rajaei port, calling it “an organized crime, part of a chain of atrocities committed by the regime and its perpetrators.”

“Three days have passed since the horrific disaster in Bandar Abbas, and as usual, the Islamic Republic has chosen the path of suppression, lies, and concealment instead of accountability and transparency,” he wrote in a post on X.

“For Iran and Iranians, nothing is more deadly and dangerous than the Islamic Republic,” he added.

The so-called snapback of UN sanctions on Iran can technically be restored automatically if any party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deems Iran to be non-compliant.

But after US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018, Washington cannot itself trigger the snapback but those European countries can, giving them key leverage as the high-stakes diplomacy rumbles on.

Appearing to recognize their clout, Tehran has proposed a meeting with the E3 in either Rome or in Tehran on the Friday before the US talks are due to enter their fourth round, Reuters reported citing diplomatic sources.

An Iranian official cited by the news agency said the E3 had yet to respond.

The initiative follows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s public offer last week to travel to Britain, France, and Germany for nuclear discussions with his counterparts. None have formally responded to his proposal yet.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Monday warned that the E3 would not hesitate to trigger the snapback clause if Iran’s nuclear escalation was deemed a threat to European security.

“Iran is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons,” Barrot told reporters. “There is no military solution to the Iranian nuclear problem. There is a diplomatic path to achieve it, but it is a narrow road.”

Barrot added that the E3 remains in close contact with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the issue, who said before the US-Iran talks began this year that Trump sought the snapback of sanctions.

Tehran faces tight deadline before JCPOA sunset

The three powers are currently negotiating with Iran about future steps to salvage the agreement, and they last met in January in Geneva.

In March, the E3 issued a joint statement expressing concerns over Iran's nuclear activities, including unprecedented enrichment levels, advanced centrifuge deployment, lack of transparency and threats to non-proliferation.

With UN Security Council Resolution 2231—which enshrined the JCPOA—set to expire in October 2025, Iran has a narrow window to persuade the countries not to trigger the sanctions.

Tehran has warned that it may withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in retaliation if the sanctions are triggered.

As with North Korea in 2003, leaving the NPT would lift Iran’s legal obligation to remain a non-nuclear weapons state and allow it to end IAEA inspections and monitoring entirely.

Such a move would escalate tensions dramatically, raising the risk of preemptive military action by Israel or the United States and potentially sparking a regional arms race if countries like Saudi Arabia seek to develop their own nuclear programs.

How the snapback mechanism works

Under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, any JCPOA participant—the E3, Russia, China or the United States —could file a non-compliance complaint with the UN Security Council.

The other participants in the JCPOA have argued that the United States can no longer enforce the snapback mechanism because it withdrew from it in 2018.

If no resolution is adopted to continue sanctions relief within 30 days, all previous UN sanctions are automatically reimposed, including cargo inspections on Iranian shipments, Reinstated arms embargoes and restrictions on missile-related technologies.

This automatic snapback process cannot be vetoed—even by permanent members like Russia or China, which have boosted ties with Iran in recent years and whose relationship with the West is increasingly adversarial.

Although both countries may oppose the move politically, they lack the power to stop it once initiated.

To avert snapback, the Council must pass a resolution during the 30-day review period to continue sanctions relief. But any permanent member can veto it—meaning if the US or E3 object, the resolution will fail, and sanctions will snap back by default.

A seminary-linked Iranian news agency said foreign broadcasters such as Iran International outpaced and outperformed domestic media in reporting the Bandar Abbas port explosion.

In a commentary, Rasā News Agency said Iranian domestic media failed to deliver the "first narrative" of the blast, citing "structural limitations" and delays in accessing official information. "Foreign media like Iran International and BBC Persian, using their broader operational space, often present faster and more attractive narratives, while internal media are unable to compete," the agency said.

Rasā also criticized the lack of transparency and coordination among Iranian institutions during crises, and warned that domestic outlets often "hesitate excessively" out of fear of publishing inaccurate information, allowing rival narratives to take hold.

It said the incident highlighted the need for "unified information management," greater editorial independence, and faster crisis reporting standards across Iranian media.

Iranian environmental experts have warned that the Bandar Abbas port explosion could cause long-term damage to marine ecosystems in the Persian Gulf, citing risks from toxic residues and contaminated runoff.

Arya Vazirzadeh, a professor at Shiraz University, said oil-derived compounds from the blast could persist in marine sediments for years, harming aquatic life and potentially entering the human food chain. He warned that careless cleanup operations could further pollute coastal waters. "Extreme caution must be taken during washing and decontamination to prevent wastewater from entering the sea," he said, according to Payame Ma news outlet.

Vazirzadeh added that hydrocarbons released from the blast could reduce oxygen levels, disrupt fish reproduction, and weaken marine species' immune systems, leading to biodiversity loss.

Separately, environmental activist Iman Ebrahimi said the port's proximity to sensitive mangrove forests and coral reefs increased the risk. He warned that ballast water discharged by ships could introduce invasive species, compounding ecological threats. "The explosion has intensified already existing environmental challenges," Ebrahimi told Payame Ma.