A spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management body pointed to poor storage conditions of chemicals as the trigger for the port explosion. State media had previously quoted Iranian security officials as saying “any speculation about the cause of the explosion is worthless”. View image in fullscreen People walk to safety after an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Photograph: Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/ReutersIn the aftermath of the explosion, port activities were suspended and Iranian customs officials halted export and transit shipments to the port. Iranian officials, in turn, are keen to lift a severe US sanctions regime on the beleaguered economy.
