LONDON, United Kingdom - Iran has declared Monday a national day of mourning following the deadly explosion at the southern Shahid Rajaee Port which has claimed at least 28 lives so far. 

Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani announced the decision on Sunday, as President Masoud Pezeshkian traveled to the port to oversee emergency efforts. 

Pezeshkian pledged "full support" for the families of those killed while visiting the injured at a local hospital, where many remained in critical condition, according to local reports. Ministers of health, transport, and interior are also on-site to coordinate the ongoing response.

Meanwhile, state media cited the Russian Embassy in Tehran as saying that President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country's Ministry of Emergency Situations to immediately deploy specialist teams and relief planes following an urgent request from the Iranian side.

Crackdown on 'misinformation' 

Iran's judiciary announced on Sunday that it has pressed charges against several outlets and online activists for allegedly spreading "false news" about the deadly explosion. 

The blast that struck one of Iran's major export-import terminals has fueled speculation blaming the disaster on the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). Unofficial reports have suggested that the explosion occurred at an IRGC-run warehouse, containing chemical components for propellants used in Iran's missile production program.

The Tehran Prosecutor's Office said despite prior warnings, some outlets reported "unverified claims" linking the blast to the IRGC cargo. The office described those arguments as a "campaign against the psychological security of Iranian society." 

Amid growing anger on social media over the "lack of transparency," the order by the judiciary ignited renewed criticism over the government's crisis management, in which—many argued—the clampdown on activists and the media has been prioritized over genuine relief operations to tackle the deepening disaster.