Defense Ministry denies military cargo at port explosion site
A spokesperson for Iran’s Defense Ministry on Sunday denied media reports that a deadly blast in a southern port in Hormozgan Province may have been linked to the mishandling of solid fuel used for missiles, stating that no military-grade material was present at the site.
Ambrey, a private security firm, earlier claimed that the port took in a shipment of a missile fuel chemical in March. The fuel is part of a shipment of ammonium perchlorate from China by two vessels to Iran first reported in January by the Financial Times.
“The fire was reportedly the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles,” Ambrey added.
In a first reaction, the spokesman of Iran’s Defense Ministry General Reza Talaei-Nik, denied the reports.
“No sort of imported and exporting consignment for fuel or military application was (or) is in the site of the port,” he told state TV by phone. He called foreign reports on the missile fuel baseless.
He added that the claims are part of the psychological operations carried out by enemies.
The spokesperson said the authorities will announce the primary and secondary causes of the incident at Shahid Rajaei Port at the appropriate time.