A devastating blast at Iran’s largest commercial port triggered mass injuries, halted operations, and raised regional concerns.
A massive explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, injuring at least 561 people, Iranian state media reported.
The explosion occurred as a third round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States was underway in Oman. The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.
A local crisis management official told Iranian state television that the incident was caused by the explosion of several containers stored in the port’s dock area.
The injured are currently being evacuated and transported to nearby medical centers. Firefighting and rescue teams responded swiftly, working to extinguish the blaze and secure the area.
Moment before explosion
and aftermath of its shockwave when a port in Iran
exploded
No foul play and most likely by accident at the maritime port
With over 100+ injured and rising and expected casualties pic.twitter.com/iCNLG8yyfF
— Arda
(@Arda_swe81) April 26, 2025
Esmail Malekizadeh, an official in the Ports and Maritime Administration of Hormozgan Province, said the explosion occurred at one section of Shahid Rajaee Port’s dock.
Port operations at Shahid Rajaee have been temporarily suspended as emergency forces assess the damage and ensure the site’s safety.
The Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that “many people may have been injured or even killed,” given the large number of port employees and the fact that it was the first working day of the week in Iran.
Iranian media reported that the explosion shattered windows several kilometers away, and footage circulated online showing a cloud of smoke rising following the blast.
The explosion was so intense that it completely destroyed an administrative building and damaged several nearby vehicles due to the force of the blast. Glass panes were shattered up to several kilometers from the site, according to reports.
- Iran’s reformist outlet, Student News Network, says several explosions followed the initial explosion, indicating missile fuel was likely present at the site which was setting off. pic.twitter.com/GMVjX0qr2W
— Monitor𝕏 (@MonitorX99800) April 26, 2025
Shahid Rajaee Port, located near the major coastal city of Bandar Abbas, is Iran’s largest commercial port, handling more than 70% of Iranian goods, according to official data. The port is located on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil production passes.
Computers at the same port were hit by a cyberattack in 2020, causing significant disruption to waterways and roads leading to the facility. The Washington Post reported that Israel appeared to be behind the 2020 attack in retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyberattack.
The Israeli newspaper Maariv cited Israeli military officials as saying that the army had no connection to the Bandar Abbas explosion.
(PC, AJA, Al Mayadeen)
How convenient…almost like the Nordstream pipeline just ” suddenly exploding ” …
it’s easy to imagine foreign agents perpetrating foul play.
would Israel deny it though ? I think there are no coincidences. Wittkoff in Iran – it is a warning from the devils over there in occupied Holy Land.
Aerial footage of firefighting shows several different fires – on opposite sides of the road. Almost as if there were several different, simultaneous explosions. How could that happen accidentally?
Reminds me the questionable port disaster in Lebanon that lost a huge flour silo and that damnable pager attack: both “Israel”.