Iran Denies Military Link to Deadly Port Blast as Suspicions Grow Over Rocket Fuel Chemicals
Hussain Hazbavi 
Bandar Abbas – Iran’s Ministry of Defense has denied allegations that the catastrophic explosion at Shahid Rajaei Port in Bandar Abbas was linked to military shipments, pushing back against mounting foreign reports suggesting the presence of rocket fuel chemicals at the blast site.
Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, spokesperson for the Defense Ministry, claimed on Sunday that “no imported or exported military cargo, including rocket fuel, was present at the port during the incident.” He accused foreign media of conducting “psychological warfare” through what he called “baseless and provocative” reporting.
His statement comes amid growing speculation that the explosion, which killed at least 28 people and injured more than 1,000, may have involved sodium perchlorate — a highly volatile chemical used in the production of solid rocket fuel. Though the exact cause of the blast remains unconfirmed, reports from The New York Times and other outlets cite sources close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who point to sodium perchlorate as the likely culprit.
Earlier this year, shipping data revealed that two vessels owned by the US-sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) — the MV Golbon and MV Jairan — transported sodium perchlorate from China to Bandar Abbas in February and March. The chemical is known to be processed at military-linked facilities such as Parchin and Khojir, which are key to Iran’s ballistic missile program.
It remains unclear whether the chemical was still stored at the port’s Sina container terminal at the time of the explosion.
Iranian authorities say investigations into the cause of the blast are still ongoing. The Ministry of Interior and the country’s disaster management agency are leading the probe and have promised to make the findings public.
As official denials continue, public distrust grows, and the region remains on edge — both from the deadly aftermath and the potential implications of what may have truly ignited the flames.
