Mourning
Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP on Sunday that three injured Chinese nationals were in a “stable” condition.
The United Arab Emirates expressed “solidarity with Iran” over the explosion and Saudi Arabia sent condolences, as did Egypt, Pakistan, India, Turkey and the United Nations as well as Russia.
The Tehran-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah also offered condolences, saying Iran, with its “faith and solid will, can overcome this tragic accident”.
In the first reaction from a major European country, the German embassy in Tehran said on Instagram: “Bandar Abbas, we grieve with you.”
Authorities declared a day of national mourning on Monday, and three days of mourning in Hormozgan province from Sunday.
The blast occurred as Iranian and US delegations were meeting in Oman for high-level talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, with both sides reporting progress.
While Iranian authorities so far appear to be treating the blast as an accident, it also comes against the backdrop of years of shadow war with regional foe Israel.
According to the Washington Post, Israel launched a cyberattack targeting the Shahid Rajaee Port in 2020.
