At least 18 people were killed and over 750 injured in a massive explosion at the Shahid Rajai Port in Bandar Abbas city in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province on Saturday. The explosion is believed to be linked to a shipment of chemicals reportedly used to make missile propellants. However, no one in Iran has directly said whether the explosion was caused by an attack.
The explosion sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky and caused heavy damage to nearby buildings and cars. The blast occurred on Saturday as Iranian and US officials met in Oman for a third round of talks on Tehran’s fast-moving nuclear program.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the talks, also acknowledged on Wednesday that “our security services are on high alert considering past examples.” However, the injured were transferred to nearby medical centres. A 90-bed hospital in Shiraz, the capital of neighbouring Fars province, has also been put on standby to receive those potentially injured in the incident.
According to the Chinese Consulate General in Bandar Abbas, three Chinese nationals suffered minor injuries in the blast. They are now in good condition after receiving medical treatment.