A deadly explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaei port may be linked to a shipment of ammonium perchlorate, a chemical used in missile fuel, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
The blast, which killed at least 70 people and injured more than 1,000, struck near the terminal of Sina Port and Marine Services, part of Bonyad Mostazafan, a foundation overseen by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and sanctioned by the US for supporting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Iranian officials have not confirmed the cause, but AP said local reports point to a mysterious cargo and noted the port had recently received chemical components used in ballistic missile fuel. A reddish cloud seen before the blast resembles those from previous explosions involving ammonium perchlorate or ammonium nitrate.
“The cloud likely was nitrogen dioxide, which can be produced when burning ammonium perchlorate or ammonium nitrate,” said Andrea Sella, chemistry professor at University College London. “The reports about the missile fuel shipment suggest it was ammonium perchlorate.”
Surveillance footage showed the reddish cloud seconds before the explosion, similar to the 2020 Beirut port blast and the 1988 PEPCON disaster in Nevada.
Sina’s CEO Saeed Jafari blamed the incident on “a false statement about the dangerous goods and delivering it without documents and tags.” Authorities have restricted access to the site.
