A massive fire and explosion on the Sahid Rajaee docks in Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest port, April 26, killed at least 70 people and injured over 1,000. Working people have responded with growing opposition to the reactionary regime and its military adventures in the region.
Government officials denied reports that the explosion was caused by a shipment of chemicals used in the production of fuel for Iran’s ballistic missiles. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani tried to blame dockworkers for the explosion, saying it was probably caused by “human error.” But few believe the officials.
It’s been widely reported in Iranian news media that the cargo that caught fire and exploded had never been registered with the port, in violation of port rules, in an effort to conceal its dangerous contents.
A statement by the Teachers Union in Fars province condemned “the incompetence, negligence, and disregard of officials who value the lives of the people less than their own interests.” Among previous “catastrophic events,” it pointed to several recent mine disasters and the January 2020 shooting down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 that killed all 176 aboard.
Whether or not the explosion was from fuel to be used to advance Tehran’s Jew-hating attacks on Israel or some other improperly labeled materials — working people blame the regime.
“From mines to ports, workers are killed,” chanted participants in a weekly protest by retirees the day after the explosion. “We want neither war nor slaughter. We want lasting welfare.”
Working people across the country have found ways to express their solidarity with port workers, including by donating blood to aid those injured.
Many of those killed or injured were truck drivers. The Truckers and Drivers Union reports that truck drivers across the country have been organizing caravans — “voices of protest with dignity.”
The union called for “transparency regarding the causes of the incident, strict action against the responsible officials and compensation for the victims’ families.”
“History will record,” the union said, “here stands a living nation, one that knows death, but never bows to tyranny.”
The truckers called for turning May Day “into a day of protest against injustice in this system,” standing “shoulder to shoulder with students, youth and the unemployed.”