Days after a huge explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, some of the fires continue to rage. Authorities say it could take up to three weeks to put them all out, but the economic, social and political reverberations from the blast are likely to last much longer.
At the time of writing, at least 70 people have died and more than 1,200 injured. Damages have run into billions of dollars. More than 80 per cent of all the country’s maritime imports come through Shahid Rajaee, and it will take a while before it returns to full capacity.
Iran’s recent history has seen several calamities, but this is a unique disaster. The cause of the explosion remains unclear, and whether it was the outcome of carelessness or conspiracy has triggered a nationwide debate.
In a statement on Monday, the investigative committee said safety precautions had been lacking at the site, suggesting it could be no more than a highly unfortunate and avoidable incident. The Hormozgan province’s governor, who leads the committee, ruled out sabotage as a probable cause – at least for now. Yet the fact that it occurred amid the ongoing Iran-US nuclear negotiations certainly gives it an additional layer of intrigue.
Iran’s largest port by far, Shahid Rajaee is used by myriad financial interests – a fact that has led to a war of narratives around the blast. Who was really at fault?
Customs officials reportedly blamed an undeclared shipment, but the agency that carried this news deleted it shortly after. Later, the manager of the country’s largest port operator made a similar claim to another news agency. He said “dangerous shipments” had been stored at the port without proper declarations, which is a violation of the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic.
There is speculation that these “dangerous shipments” might have been fuel for Iran’s missile programme which, according to earlier reporting, had been unloaded at Shahid Rajaee. In January, an article in the Financial Times said that China had sent missile fuel to help Iran replenish the stocks it had lost after its attacks on Israel last year.
The presence of missile fuel, were it to be the case, increases the probability of a foreign attack. Israeli officials have so far denied any connection to the blast, but one general has said that it could have been the work of his country.
Some influential Iranians believe this to be true. The academic Sadegh Zibakalam said Israel might have used its intelligence capabilities inside the country to cause the blast. Mohammad Mehdi Shahriari, an MP and a part of the Parliament’s national security committee, said it might have been an Israeli attempt to sabotage the Iran-US talks. Mr Shahriari did, however, add that he is open to the possibility of negligence, given the often-lax observance of safety rules in the country.
The presence of missile fuel, were it to be the case, increases the probability of a foreign attack
As with other cases, such as the Beirut Port blast in 2020, the search for the truth might go on for years. The head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ezhei, has asked investigators to speed things up and directed the national prosecutor to quickly identify those responsible. But given the stakes involved, it would be naive to expect a swift or straightforward conclusion.
Meanwhile, as tragic as the blast was, it has revealed a positive side of Iranian society, which has shown incredible solidarity with the victims. Hundreds of people lined up in cities across the country to donate blood, with clinics operating round the clock to accommodate this drive. Within a day of the blast, Iran’s Blood Transfusion Organisation said more than enough blood had been collected.
The annual Koocheh music festival held in the south-western port city of Bushehr closed early, and many musicians engaged in traditional mourning processions. These processions were diverse and widespread in their reach. In Iranian Kurdistan, lorry drivers hung banners of condolences on their vehicles, highlighting the fact that the mourning was nationwide. Social media is still awash with expressions of sadness and solidarity.
In short, the blast has brought a newfound unity in an otherwise politically divided society.
The tragedy has also provided a sobering glimpse into just how disastrous potential military strikes – being discussed as a possibility if the Iran-US talks fail – could be for the country’s people and its critical infrastructure. Even though most of the government’s most ardent opponents in Iran are opposed to such strikes, there are those who favour them as a means of putting a swift end to the establishment. These critics often claim that strikes could be relatively harmless, but the suffering being endured by so many in Bandar Abbas has reminded ordinary Iranians that war is not a metaphor – and that a military conflict could be an unmitigated disaster.
As talks between Tehran and Washington advance, with a fourth round scheduled for Saturday, the stakes couldn’t be higher. It is clear to all sides that a collapse of the talks could be a prelude to Israeli strikes on Iranian soil with an aim to destroy its nuclear weapons programme. By showing how unpalatable such a scenario is, the blast could end up strengthening popular support for the talks and bolstering the resolve of the negotiators to secure a deal.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
TICKETS
For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.
Company%20Profile
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If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The currency conundrum
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.0%20twin-turbo%20inline%20six-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E503hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E600Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh400%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E563Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh320%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
