Iran Says Fire Contained after Deadly Blast at Key Port

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Red Crescent Society official channel shows a helicopter spraying water at the Rajaie port in the city of Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, 27 April 2025 (issued 28 April 2025). (EPA/ Iranian Red Crescent Society/ Handout)
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Red Crescent Society official channel shows a helicopter spraying water at the Rajaie port in the city of Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, 27 April 2025 (issued 28 April 2025). (EPA/ Iranian Red Crescent Society/ Handout)
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Iran Says Fire Contained after Deadly Blast at Key Port

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Red Crescent Society official channel shows a helicopter spraying water at the Rajaie port in the city of Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, 27 April 2025 (issued 28 April 2025). (EPA/ Iranian Red Crescent Society/ Handout)
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Red Crescent Society official channel shows a helicopter spraying water at the Rajaie port in the city of Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, 27 April 2025 (issued 28 April 2025). (EPA/ Iranian Red Crescent Society/ Handout)

Firefighters have brought under control a blaze at Iran's main port, following a deadly explosion blamed on negligence, authorities said.

The explosion, heard dozens of kilometers (miles) away, hit a dock at the southern port of Shahid Rajaee on Saturday.

At least 70 people were killed and more than 1,000 others suffered injuries in the blast and ensuing fire, which also caused extensive damage, state media reported.

Red Crescent official Mokhtar Salahshour told the channel late Monday that the fire had been "contained" and a clean-up was under way.

State television aired live footage on Tuesday showing thick smoke rising from stacked containers.

Iran's ILNA news agency quoted Hossein Zafari, spokesman for the country's crisis management organization, as saying the situation had improved significantly since Monday.

However, "the operation and complete extinguishing process may take around 15 to 20 days", the agency reported.

Iran's customs authority said port operations had returned to normal, according to the IRNA news agency.

The port of Shahid Rajaee lies near the major coastal city of Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes.

Hormozgan provincial governor Mohammad Ashouri ruled out sabotage.

"The set of hypotheses and investigations carried out during the process indicated that the sabotage theory lacks basis or relevance," he told state television late Monday.

The port´s customs office said the blast may have started in a depot storing hazardous and chemical materials.

Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said there were "shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions and negligence".

A committee assigned to investigate the blast cited similar factors as the likely cause.



Rain and Strong Winds Kill 18 in Pakistan's Karachi

Travelers crowd a railway station on their way home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, in Karachi Pakistan, 18 March 2026. EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER
Travelers crowd a railway station on their way home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, in Karachi Pakistan, 18 March 2026. EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER
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Rain and Strong Winds Kill 18 in Pakistan's Karachi

Travelers crowd a railway station on their way home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, in Karachi Pakistan, 18 March 2026. EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER
Travelers crowd a railway station on their way home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, in Karachi Pakistan, 18 March 2026. EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER

Heavy rain and strong winds left at least 18 people dead in Pakistan's financial capital Karachi, city authorities and rescue services said on Thursday.

Thirteen people died when a wall collapsed on Wednesday, while five people, including two women, were killed elsewhere in the city.

"According to initial reports, the deceased were drug addicts who had taken shelter in the building due to the rain," the Rescue 1122 emergency service said of the 13 victims.

Light to moderate rain fell across Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, but was heavier in some areas, meteorologists said.

Rain in March is common in Punjab province in east-central Pakistan but unusual in Sindh, which is in the southeast.

"This kind of extreme weather event hasn't happened for a long time," Pakistan Meteorological Department's senior official Ameer Hyder Laghari told AFP.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab urged residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary movement, warning that many trees had fallen and crews were working to clear roads.

Forecasters said more rain and thunderstorms with strong winds and possible isolated hailstorms could continue to affect Karachi and other parts of Sindh province as a westerly weather system moves across the region.

Pakistan, where 45 percent of people live below the poverty line, is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with limited resources dedicated to adaptation.

While South Asia's seasonal monsoon brings rainfall that farmers depend on, climate change is making the phenomenon more erratic.

Last year, monsoon rains in Pakistan killed more than 1,000 people.


Iran Executes 3 Individuals Arrested Over January Protests

Motorists drive past a billboard of Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran on March 14, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Motorists drive past a billboard of Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran on March 14, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
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Iran Executes 3 Individuals Arrested Over January Protests

Motorists drive past a billboard of Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran on March 14, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Motorists drive past a billboard of Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran on March 14, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran executed three men on Thursday convicted of killing two police officers during unrest earlier this year, state media reported, saying the sentences had been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The judiciary said the men were found ⁠guilty of murder ⁠and “Moharebeh” (waging war against God), including carrying out acts it said were in favor of Israel and the ⁠United States. The executions were carried out in the religious city of Qom.

Authorities said the three had taken part in attacks using knives and other weapons during protests on January 8, killing two police ⁠officers.

Iranian ⁠officials have repeatedly accused foreign adversaries, including Israel and the US, of involvement in the nationwide unrest earlier this year, which was repressed in the biggest crackdown in the country’s history.


US Detects Drones over Base where Rubio, Hegseth Live, Washington Post Reports

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell (Reuters)
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell (Reuters)
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US Detects Drones over Base where Rubio, Hegseth Live, Washington Post Reports

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell (Reuters)
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell (Reuters)

US officials detected unidentified drones above an army base in Washington where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth live, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing three people briefed on the situation.

The officials have not ‌determined where ‌the drones came from, the ‌report ⁠said, citing two ⁠of the people.

The drones over Fort McNair prompted officials to weigh relocating Rubio and Hegseth, the report said.

However, the secretaries have not ⁠moved, the report added, citing a ‌senior ‌administration official.

The newspaper said the US ‌military was monitoring potential threats ‌more closely because of the heightened alert level over the US and Israeli war against Iran.

Reuters could ‌not independently verify the report immediately.

The Pentagon and the ⁠US ⁠State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell declined to discuss the drones with the Washington Post.

"The department cannot comment on the secretary’s (Hegseth's) movements for security reasons, and reporting on such movements is grossly irresponsible," he told the Post.