No Israeli role: Iran says port explosion due to negligence

Shafaq News/ Iran has ruled out foreign involvement in the April 26 explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, attributing the deadly incident to human error, officials confirmed on Monday.

Speaking to Russia’s RIA Novosti, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that the investigation found no evidence linking the explosion to Israel or other external actors. “We treat all security threats seriously, but this incident stemmed from negligence,” she explained, confirming that a government official and a private-sector manager have been detained.

The blast caused massive destruction, flattening infrastructure and damaging surrounding buildings. Initial reports estimated losses between $3 and $5 billion. The Hormozgan Justice Department later revised the official death toll from 70 to 57 following a forensic audit.

Addressing parliamentary scrutiny of Roads and Urban Development Minister Farzaneh Sadegh, who is facing questions that may be linked to the explosion, Mohajerani urged lawmakers to maintain a constitutional approach and avoid politicization. “The government remains fully committed to transparency.”

While acknowledging Iran’s history of facing “economic and scientific terrorism,” including nuclear sabotage and targeted killings of scientists, the spokeswoman emphasized that the country's security forces remain on high alert.