Iran threatens citizens, media with legal action after port explosion

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday both Tehran and Washington showed their determination to make progress in the talks held in Muscat.

However, he said, "sometimes determination alone is not enough, and the disagreements may be so serious that reaching a result becomes impossible."

"Some of the disagreements are serious, and some have their own complexities, but we are hopeful that we can move forward quickly, and the progress so far has been good. I am satisfied with the process and pace of the negotiations," he added.

Araghchi said the two sides were engaged in a "much more serious" round of talks today.

"There are still disagreements, but it was evident that both sides are serious," he said. Araghchi said, "We are very cautiously optimistic."

The Iranian top diplomat ruled out talks on any non-nuclear issues. "We only discuss the nuclear issue and won't accept negotiations on any other topic."

Reuters had earlier quoted an Iranian official as saying that the Iran-US talks are not limited to Tehran’s disputed nuclear program but also include its missile program.

The source said the missile program has become the sticky point in Iran-US talks.

Oman's foreign minister announced that a fourth round of high-level talks will be held on May 3 between Iran and the United States.

US-Iran talks held on Saturday identified a shared aspiration to reach an agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a post on X.

"Core principles, objectives and technical concerns were all addressed," he said.

The number of fatalities in Saturday's explosion at Shahid Rajaei port in southern Iran is in the dozens, local sources told Iran International.

Earlier Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that only four individuals were killed in the blast.

The figures announced officially account only for those who were in the surrounding areas, not at the heart of the explosion, a source familiar with the situation told Iran International.

A source close to the family of one of the victims, who shared images and videos from the site with Iran International, said: "Why does the Islamic Republic insist on claiming that no one was killed or that the number of deaths is low?"

Hundreds have been injured, and hospitals lack the capacity and resources to treat them, a family member of an injured person told Iran International, speaking outside a hospital in Bandar Abbas and sharing video footage.

Another Iran International viewer sent a video showing the body of a coworker lying among trucks at the site.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed deep regret over the Bandar Abbas port explosion and ordered a full investigation into the cause of the incident, he said in a post on social media on Saturday.

"While expressing deep sorrow and sympathy with the victims in Hormozgan province, I have ordered an investigation into the situation and the causes of the incident," Pezeshkian wrote on X.

He added that Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni had been dispatched as his special representative to "conduct a thorough review of the accident, coordinate relief efforts, and address the needs of the injured."

Iran’s foreign ministry on Saturday denied that its defense or missile capabilities have been discussed in indirect negotiations with the United States.

"The issue of Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities has not been and is not a topic of discussion in the talks," foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei was quoted as saying by state media.

Baghaei rejected reports by "some Western media," including one by Reuters that quoted an Iranian official as saying Iran’s missile program remained a major obstacle to reaching an agreement with Washington.