Overview
- The death toll from the explosion at Shahid Radschaei port in southern Iran has risen to at least 40, with over 1,000 people injured, including 280 in critical condition.
- Authorities report that local hospitals are overwhelmed, necessitating the transfer of patients to facilities in other cities, and have issued urgent calls for blood donations.
- Preliminary findings suggest that the explosion originated from a chemical storage area, but the exact cause remains under investigation; sabotage has not been substantiated.
- The blast caused extensive damage to the port's infrastructure, disrupting operations at a facility that handles over a third of Iran's maritime trade.
- Iranian President Massud Peseschkian has ordered a thorough investigation and dispatched two ministers to oversee the response efforts at the site.