As some Iranian newspapers question the timing of a massive explosion at Bandar Abbas port, an official has reported a large-scale cyberattack against key government centers amid ongoing nuclear talks with the United States.
Behzad Akbari, chief executive officer of Iran’s Telecommunications Infrastructure Company, announced that a “large-scale cyberattack” targeting the country’s infrastructure took place on April 27, 2025. He described the attacks as “widespread and sophisticated” Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) operations, adding that they had implemented preventive measures. However, Akbari did not attribute the attacks to any specific source.
That same day, just one day after another round of U.S.-Iran negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Iran’s uranium enrichment infrastructure must be dismantled. “The real deal that works is a deal which removes Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said.
One day after another round of U.S.-Iran negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Iran’s uranium enrichment infrastructure must be dismantled.
Later that day, President Donald Trump expressed optimism about the negotiations, as the two sides announced last week that they are now focused on technical aspects of Iran’s nuclear program. “On the Iran situation, I think we’re doing very well. I think a deal is going to be made there. That’s going to happen. Pretty sure it’s going to happen. We’ll have something without having to start dropping bombs all over the place,” Trump told reporters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi quickly responded to Netanyahu, seemingly attempting to placate Trump. In a tweet, Araghchi dismissed Netanyahu’s comments and bizarrely linked him to the “failed Biden Team.” For seven years, the Iranian regime had labeled Trump a “gambler,” a “warmonger,” and a “tool of Zionists,” but now, in an abrupt turnaround, Netanyahu is being portrayed as part of Trump’s Democratic rivals.
Amidst the diplomatic sparring, the explosion at the port—whether due to sabotage or an accident—was a blow to the Iranian regime. The presence of large, highly volatile chemical stockpiles at a civilian port, as previously in Beirut, alongside apparent mishandling and a lack of safety protocols, falls squarely under the responsibility of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iranian customs officials revealed that the chemical shipment—possibly intended for missile fuel production—entered the port without inspections, a lapse that could have occurred only with the involvement or approval of the highest political and military authorities.
Two conservative newspapers have suggested a possible link between the port explosion and the nuclear talks. Jomhuri-ye Eslami daily on April 28, 2025, wrote, “The coincidence of the explosion at Shahid Rajaei Port with one of the most sensitive periods of negotiations between Iran and the United States in Oman cannot be unrelated to the positive developments that have emerged in our country’s foreign policy.” Established and supported by the office of Supreme Leader, the paper accused Israel of seeking to derail the negotiations but also questioned who would take responsibility for the incident, warning that blame likely would be evaded, as usual. In an editorial, the Sobh-e No daily also noted that although the cause of the blast remains officially undetermined, its timing—alongside nuclear talks and heightened Israeli threats—raises the possibility of targeted sabotage.
