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"This location and port are extremely critical to the survival of the Iranian regime," expert Sabti emphasized. "
The mass explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, which took place on Saturday, has significantly impacted the Iranian regime, according to Beni Sabti, an expert in the Iran program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
“The port that blew up in the southern Iranian city was the most important port for the Iranian regime,” Sabti told Maariv on Sunday.
He said the reason for the port’s importance was “not only because it was the largest port in Iran, but because the hub was used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to transfer weapons to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and the Houthis.”
It was also used “to illegally transfer oil to China,” Sabti added.
“Various tankers operated there, disappearing and reappearing, essentially collecting oil from the port or bringing in goods that Iran needs,” he said. “This location and this port were extremely critical to the survival of the Iranian regime.”
Sabti was hesitant about determining what the cause of the explosion was.
“It is still very early to know whether it was an accident or deliberate sabotage,” he said. “Personally, I find it hard to believe it was sabotage, especially at this time, given the ongoing talks between Iran and the United States.”
Response to claims that the explosion was attributed to Israel
Sabti addressed the claims that the explosion was attributed to Israel, saying, “It is common for some Iranian regime-affiliated figures to blame Israel. The regime is officially refraining from doing so – possibly because it is not in their interest to do so at this time.”Sabti also remarked on the magnitude of the explosion, calling the damage “very severe.”
“The situation there is very, very difficult. There are fatalities and hundreds of injured people at the scene. Some are comparing this explosion to the one that occurred in Lebanon a few years ago, which destroyed everything,” Sabti said.
“Of course,” he added, “it’s not on the same scale, but it’s still a very large explosion.”
Sabti said that the consequences of the explosion could be particularly serious if critical infrastructure were damaged.
The potential damage of the explosion
“The section that exploded was extremely vital to the Iranian regime’s survival,” Sabti said, stressing that “if infrastructure important to the IRGC’s oil transfer operations or the reception of vital goods was damaged, this could have a significant impact.”“There are rumors right now that Iran may have been storing missile fuel [at the port], possibly imported from China,” he said.
However, Sabti said, “As of now, this is just a rumor.”
“The information is still unclear, and we need to wait for confirmation. The Iranian regime may conceal the truth,” Sabti continued.
“In any case, there was damage that could prove significant to the Iranian regime’s economy, especially affecting the IRGC and the weapons they transfer or receive,” Sabti said.
