Huge Blast in Iran Blamed on Chemical for Missiles

The fire is finally out after a massive explosion at an Iranian port on Saturday, and the best guess is that improper storage of a chemical used to make missiles is to blame.

• The death toll from the blast at Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas rose to at least 70 on Monday, with more than 1,000 injured, reports the AP. The only bit of good news was that Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni announced the fire had been put out.
• The New York Times, citing a source close to the Revolutionary Guard, reports that it was sodium perchlorate that exploded, a key ingredient in solid fuel for missiles. Iran reportedly received a shipment of the chemical in March from China, though Tehran has not confirmed that. Iran's stocks were reportedly depleted last year when it and proxy Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel during its war with Hamas.

• The nation's state-run news agency reported that chemicals did indeed appear to be the source of the blast, though it did not identify any of them, per CNN. Social media footage showed reddish smoke just before the explosion, suggesting a chemical compound was involved.
• Satellite images analyzed by the AP showed the swath of destruction. The blast disintegrated one building, damaged another, and created two craters, each about 165 feet across. Nearby containers appeared smashed and distorted from the explosion and fire.
• The explosion occurred as Iran is beginning a third round of negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program. However, Iranian officials have not suggested the explosion was anything but accidental.

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