On the morning of Saturday, April 26, 2025, a massive explosion occurred in the Rajaei Port of Bandar Abbas, the largest commercial port in Iran. This disaster not only paralyzed one of the country’s most vital economic infrastructures, but also exposed a corrupt, secretive, and criminal structure; a structure in which military institutions have seized the country’s economic lifelines for their own security and military purposes, beyond any legal oversight.

Based on the analysis of more than 90 videos released by citizens and confirmed by institutions such as The Washington Post and Ambrey Analytics, the explosion began from a container carrying sodium perchlorate—a highly dangerous material used in the production of ballistic missile fuel. This substance was stored in a warehouse belonging to a company affiliated with the Bonyad Mostazafan (Foundation of the Oppressed) without following safety protocols.

Investigations show that the initial spark was caused by a collision between an industrial forklift and the container. Just two minutes later, an explosion equivalent to several tons of TNT occurred. Technical reports highlight the absence of warning systems, improper placement of chemicals, and unsafe spacing as the main factors contributing to the disaster.

While official sources have reported 70 deaths and around 1,200 injuries, field reports and eyewitness accounts suggest a much larger scale. Witnesses have described hundreds of people being burned alive and entire families going missing. Grieving families who went to the Rajaei Port pier in search of their loved ones were met with a ruthless response: “Go away, we are following up.”

In a documented report by Etemad newspaper, the father of one of the missing persons stated: “We just want to know what happened to our loved one. Even if they give us just a bone, we would be satisfied.”

Reports from the field and statements from port workers suggest that some containers, listed as carrying ordinary goods like chips and rice, were actually transporting weapons and explosives. These shipments were transferred to the port without any legal oversight and through a covert network composed of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Bonyad Mostazafan, Khatam al-Anbia headquarters, and affiliated front companies.

Although Rajaei Port is officially under the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, it has effectively become a military support base for security organizations. These organizations exploit commercial infrastructure for their regional and military goals without any accountability.

The consequences of this disaster are not only humanitarian but have also impacted the entire national economy:

In the wake of the explosion, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have called for independent and international investigations into the nature of the disaster and the role of government institutions in its occurrence. In its statement, Amnesty said: “As long as the Iranian political system refuses to accept accountability, such disasters will continue to occur.”

This explosion is yet another link in a chain of national disasters under the regime.

In none of these disasters have the main perpetrators been identified or prosecuted. The ruling structure, with its secretive approach and resistance to accountability, has obstructed justice and hindered the people’s right to seek answers.

Based on international media evidence and eyewitness testimonies, the IRGC played a direct role in storing the explosives in an unsafe manner. The cargo, imported from China, was introduced into the port under the guise of commercial goods to normalize and obscure its true nature.

Khamenei, in a dismissive response, referred to the disaster as a “natural accident” and, by calling for “patience,” rubbed salt into the wounds of the people. In a coordinated move, the judiciary of Hormozgan also reduced the official death toll from 70 to 46, while families of the dozens still missing continue to gather at the pier, demanding accountability.

The explosion in Bandar Abbas is no longer just an accident; it symbolizes the deep divide between the people and a structure that has sacrificed their interests for missile, nuclear, and crisis-exporting projects. A regime that has turned a commercial port into an armament depot and the lives of its citizens into hostages of its destructive policies.

The only way to save Iran from the cycle of disasters is a national uprising, connected with the strategy of the People’s Resistance Movement and Resistance Units, to dismantle this corrupt, criminal, and murderous structure known as the Velayat-e Faqih system. A regime that exports repression, corruption, terrorism, and destruction both within and outside Iran.

© Eurasia Review