Official figures say at least 70 people have been killed and over 1,200 injured in the explosion.
Satellite images obtained by Iran International show the aftermath of the April 26 explosion over a 50-hectare area at Rajaei port in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran.
The satellite images reveal that the Sina yard, the blast's epicenter which could hold between 12,000 and 20,000 twenty-foot containers, has been completely destroyed.
A former senior official in Iran’s presidential office said the government bears responsibility for the Rajaei port explosion regardless of its cause.
“If the blast had a foreign origin, it shows the state’s weakness in protecting critical infrastructure,” Amir Moghadam said in an interview with Iran International TV.
“But even if it resulted from human error, it still reflects government incompetence,” he added. Moghadam served in the presidential administration under Hassan Rouhani.
A member of Iran’s parliamentary delegation to Bandar Abbas said the number of deaths from the explosion at Rajaei port continues to rise due to a high number of missing persons.
“The death toll is increasing because many are still unaccounted for,” Morteza Mahmoudi said.
He described the damage as extensive, affecting nearly 2,000 containers, vehicles outside the port, administrative buildings, and electronic systems. “But the greatest loss is the lives of those we have lost,” he added.
Mahmoudi said 45 lawmakers have signed a motion to impeach the transport minister, though he noted the move is not directly tied to the blast.
Four independent labor organizations described the Rajaei port explosion and the deaths of dock workers as a “crime,” rejecting official framing of the blast as an accident.
“The explosion at Bandar Rajaei and the massacre of workers is not an accident; it is a crime,” they said in a joint statement.
The groups, including the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Syndicate and the Retirees’ Union of Khuzestan, warned that “crime and lies have become state policy in Iran.”
"Each of these crimes reveals the depth of the catastrophes brought about by the current rulers, who, resorting to every form of shamelessness — even setting groups of people on fire — have used them as stepping stones for their insatiable thirst for power and domination over Iran’s political and economic geography. Feeding off the blood of the people, they seek to ascend to the seats of premiership and ministerial office, driven by an unquenchable greed for money and wealth, which makes these acts particularly significant."
Initial findings show no foreign involvement in the Rajaei port explosion, said Iran’s parliamentary national security spokesman.
“Based on reports so far, the blast had no external origin,” Ebrahim Rezaei said after a committee briefing on Tuesday.
He added that investigators found evidence of “negligence and failure to observe safety protocols” at the site, which requires further expert review.
Ahmad Ajam and Sara Fallahi, lawmakers sent by the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, submitted their preliminary report to parliament on Tuesday after visiting the port.
The US Treasury Department on Tuesday designated six entities and six individuals based in Iran and China for their role in a network procuring ballistic missile propellant ingredients - sodium perchlorate and dioctyl sebacate - on behalf of Iran’s IRGC from China to Iran.
Sodium perchlorate is what the New York Times said was the likely cause of the deadly explosion in Bandar Abbas on Saturday, citing a source close to the Revolutionary Guard.
“Iran’s aggressive development of missiles and other weapons capabilities imperils the safety of the US and our partners,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.
“It also destabilizes the Middle East, and violates the global agreements intended to prevent the proliferation of these technologies. To achieve peace through strength, Treasury will continue to take all available measures to deprive Iran’s access to resources necessary to advance its missile program.”
Iranian insurance firms said they will only compensate victims of port explosion in line with their existing contracts, even as authorities vowed payments within 48 hours for those already identified.
“Each company pays according to its own commitment, not beyond that,” Alborz Insurance CEO Mousa Rezaei told Eqtesad24.
Hormozgan judiciary chief Mojtaba Ghahremani said insurers have been notified of 25 identified fatalities and will disburse payments swiftly. He added that families of unidentified victims would be compensated once identities are confirmed.
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.
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.