MP demands accountability over port blast

The death toll from the explosion at Rajaei port has risen to 28, Iranian Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Kolivand said on Sunday.

He said 20 injured victims remain in intensive care, while around 190 others are still hospitalized.

Kolivand described the search and rescue operations as "very good" and said most of the more than 1,000 people injured had already been discharged from hospitals.

Indirect talks between Iran and the United States concluded on Saturday with both sides presenting frameworks for negotiation and discussing various issues, but without reaching any agreement, The New York Times reported.

A senior American official, cited by the newspaper, described the four-hour session as productive and indicated that the next round of talks would take place in Europe, with Oman continuing its role as facilitator.

According to a senior American official, the discussions lasted four hours and were described as productive. Both sides proposed frameworks for future negotiations, but nothing was agreed to during the Saturday meeting.

Another source familiar with the negotiations told The New York Times that the subsequent round would likely occur within the next two weeks.

However, this source added that the US delegation required time to review information and proposals put forward by the Iranian side.

This person also said that the United States prefers to move future talks to a location more convenient for its delegation.

There was no military-related cargo in the area affected by the Rajaei Port fire, Iran’s defense ministry spokesperson said on Sunday, according to state television.

"Based on the investigations and documents, no imported or exported military material existed in the blast zone," Reza Talaei-Nik added.

He accused foreign media of “spreading false claims” and added that the main and secondary causes of the explosion would be announced after a full review with relevant agencies.

The metal structure of the burning containers at Rajaei Port makes it difficult to extinguish the fire with water, Tehran Fire Department Chief Ghodratollah Mohammadi told Entekhab news outlet on Sunday.

"The contents must burn out completely before we can remove the containers," he added. Mohammadi said about 75 percent of the fire had been contained but warned that mixed cargoes, including possible chemicals, complicate the situation. He added that it remains unclear whether the smoke poses a chemical hazard and final conclusions must await official tests.

More than 10,000 containers may have been destroyed in the Rajaei Port fire due to poor regulation of hazardous materials, parliamentary construction committee head Mohammad Reza Rezaei Kouchi said during a visit to the port on Sunday, ILNA reported.

He said the lack of separation between flammable and non-flammable goods worsened the disaster, with heat causing some containers to explode before the flames reached them.

Rezaei Kouchi criticized the Ports and Maritime Organization for failing to enforce storage standards and operating for months without a permanent chief.