Fires continue to rage at key Iran port as explosion death toll rises to 46

Two days after a massive explosion that left dozens dead and more than 1, 000 people injured, according to Iranian state media, firefighters are still fighting raging fires at the country’s largest commercial port, Bandar Abbas, as questions loom over the cause of the explosion.

Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, the director of crisis management for Hormozgan province, quoted as saying, “The death toll in the Shahid Rajaei&nbsp, Port fire has reached 46,” according to the official IRNA news agency on Monday. He continued, noting that the majority of the injured had since been discharged after receiving medical care.

Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, who is traveling to the affected area, reported to state TV on Monday that only “120 wounded are still in hospital.”

The blast occurred on Saturday at Shahid Rajaei&nbsp, a port in Iran’s south near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which passes one-fifth of the world’s oil output.

According to Iran’s state television, firefighters reportedly started igniting the flames, and that damage would be determined once the fire was completely contained.

A firefighting helicopter flew above the site, where heavy charcoal-black smoke continued to billow, according to images from the Iranian Red Crescent.

What was the explosion’s cause?

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, but the port’s customs office said it was most likely the result of a fire that broke out at a depot holding dangerous chemicals.

According to Momeni, “culprits have been identified and summoned,” and the explosion was the result of “shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions and negligence.”

A thorough investigation into the incident has been mandated by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has refuted reports that a shipment of missile fuel was to blame for the explosion despite speculation from outside and experts.

National Day of Remembrance is established

President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Bandar Abbas’s hospitals on Sunday to check on the patients. Authorities have closed all schools and offices in the area since the explosion, urging residents to stay inside “until further notice” and wearing protective masks when doing so.

Authorities in Hormozgan province began the three days of mourning on Sunday, while Monday was designated as a national day of mourning.

Iranian and US delegations met in Oman to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program, and both sides reported progress.

The explosion comes as a result of years of a shadow war between regional rivals Israel, which Iranian authorities have so far denied as an accident. Israel has previously claimed responsibility for these attacks.