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Satellite images of the Shahid Rajaee port at Bandar Abbas in Iran showed two craters each measuring 55 yards in width, caused by the massive explosion there on Saturday. Iran reported rising numbers of fatalities in the blast, surpassing 70, and more than 1,000 people were injured. Authorities have yet to disclose the cause of the explosion, but estimates and reports suggest that it was linked to a shipment of chemicals received from China for the production of solid fuel for ballistic missiles.
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Satellite images show craters in Iranian Shahid Rajaee port after an explosion there
(Photo: PLANET LABS PBC / AFP)
3 View gallery
Satellite images show craters in Iranian Shahid Rajaee port after an explosion there
(Photo: PLANET LABS PBC / AFP)
Iranian politicians also accused Israel of involvement."This was not an accident,” Iranian parliament member Mohammed Seraj alleged.
Planet Labs images revealed extensive damage and according to the Associated Press which compated the images to those taken before the Saturday blast, found that a large structure was completely destroyed near the containers.
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Satellite images show craters in Iranian Shahid Rajaee port after an explosion there
(Photo: PLANET LABS PBC via AP )
An Israeli official denied any involvement and no official accusation was made by the Iranian regime. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Tuesday that the explosion likely occurred due to "negligence" and a failure to adhere to safety protocols. He noted that some of those responsible have already been "identified" and summoned as part of the ongoing investigation. He added that among the "failures" that contributed to the disaster was the improper storage of materials, emphasizing the need to "disperse" them.
More than two days after the massive blast, Iran was still struggling to control the fires that broke out at the port, according to reports.
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Massive explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas port
The explosion caused extensive damage to structures at the Shahid Rajaee port, which is Iran's largest commercial port. Reports indicated that the shockwave caused damage within a radius of several kilometers. In footage circulated from the moment of the explosion, orange smoke can be seen rising into the sky before a massive fireball suddenly expands, followed by a giant smoke mushroom.
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The Shahid Rajaee port was reported to receive shipments of sodium perchlorate from China in recent months, chemicals that are a critical component for producing solid rocket fuel for Iran's ballistic missiles. A source linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards confirmed to the New York Times on Monday that this material ignited and caused the explosion. However, the Iranian Ministry of Defense stated no "military material" was stored at the port. "The reports published by foreign media on the subject are part of a psychological operation by the enemy," it stated.
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Bandar Abbas port blast in Iran feld miles away
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Firefighters trying to control the flames
The Shahid Rajaee port, part of the critical infrastructure of the important port city of Bandar Abbas, is located on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf—a strait of strategic importance through which 20% of the world's oil traffic passes. This port is economically vital for Iran: it is the largest commercial port in the country, handling around 70% of its goods, approximately 80 million tons annually. It also has oil facilities and petrochemical plants. In this port, a cyberattack was reported in 2020 that severely disrupted its operations, and the Washington Post reported at that time that Israel was behind that operation.