Iranian lawmaker Mohammad Siraj has accused Israel of being involved in the catastrophic explosion at Shahid Rajaei port near the southern city of Bandar Abbas, even as fires continued to rage into a third day on Monday.
Siraj, a member of Parliament, alleged that explosives had been planted within a container either in their country of origin or along the transport route. However, he offered no evidence to substantiate his claims.
The death toll from the powerful blast, which devastated Iran’s largest port, has risen to at least 40, with over 1,000 people injured, according to early reports on Monday.
Iranian authorities have yet to formally announce the cause of the explosion, but another member of Parliament also hinted at possible Israeli involvement.
“Israel was involved in the explosion,” Siraj told a local news agency. “It was not accidental. Clear evidence points to Israeli involvement.”
He further claimed, “There were explosives planted in the container, either in their country of origin or along the transportation route. We do not rule out the involvement of internal factors in planting the explosives in the containers. The explosion occurred at four different locations.”
Siraj did not present any specific evidence for his accusations. Meanwhile, an Israeli official, speaking to Hebrew media on Saturday, denied any Israeli role in the blast, and Israel’s leadership has yet to comment publicly on the incident.
Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, visited the injured and conducted an aerial survey of the blast site on Sunday.
On Sunday, Iran’s Provincial Governor, Mohammad Ashouri, updated the death toll to 40, according to reports.
Pir Hossein Kolivand, head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society, stated that by Sunday only 190 of about 1,000 injured people remained hospitalised, as reported by an Iranian government website.
Experts have expressed concern over the apparent negligence that allowed a large quantity of chemicals to remain unattended in a volatile region, particularly amid soaring regional tensions and ongoing confrontations with Israel over nuclear issues.
The devastation has evoked grim memories of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, where the ignition of hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate killed more than 200 people and injured over 6,000.
Israel has previously targeted Iranian facilities, including missile sites where industrial mixers are allegedly used to produce solid fuel, as part of its military responses. This includes strikes launched after Iran’s missile barrage directed at Israel in October last year.
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