A huge explosion in Iran’s main port killed 14 people and injured more than 750 people
Authorities say at least 14 people were killed in one of Iran’s key ports, with 750 injured.
The explosion occurred in Shahid Rajaee, the country’s largest commercial port, near the southern city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday morning.
It blew up windows and roofs of nearby buildings and destroyed cars. Residents reported that the impact of the explosion was as high as 50 kilometers (31 miles).
Videos verified by the BBC show that the fire would have occurred before a huge explosion, and people later fled the explosion and others were injured on the road surrounded by smoking debris.
“The entire warehouse was filled with smoke, dust and ash. I don’t remember whether I was under the table or being thrown there by the explosion,” a person in the area told State TV.
The antenna video showed burning at least three areas, and the Iranian interior minister later confirmed that the fire spread from one container to another. Schools and offices in the area have been ordered to close on Sunday.
A private maritime risk company said it believes the affected containers contain solid fuel that is doomed to ballistic missiles.
The fire was the result of “improper handling of solid fuels designed to be used for Iranian ballistic missiles.”
Ambrey said it realized that an Iran-signed ship “released a batch of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel at the port in March 2025.”
The Financial Times newspaper had previously reported that two ships were transporting fuel from China to Iran.
State media quoted witnesses as saying the explosion occurred after the fire broke out and spread to unsealed containers that store “flammable materials.”
Customs officials later issued a statement reported by Iran’s state television, saying the explosion could have been due to a fire that broke out in a storage of dangerous goods and chemical materials.
In a later update, Ambrey quoted the National Disaster Management of Iran, saying officials had previously issued warnings to the port of Shahid Rajaee about safe storage of chemicals.
After the explosion, the highway was filled with debris and rubble [Reuters]
The Shahid Rajaee port is Iran’s largest and most advanced terminal, through which most commercial transportation in the country can be passed.
It is located in the Hormuz Strait, a major transport channel for oil cargo, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Bandar Abbas, the main port city of Iran on the south coast of Iran, and is home to the main base of the Iranian Navy.
Iran’s state oil production company said the explosion at the port had nothing to do with the country’s refineries, fuel tanks and pipelines.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed “deep regret and sympathy” to the victims. He announced a government investigation and sent the interior minister to the region to lead the region.
Saturday’s explosion coincided with the latest negotiations between Iran and U.S. officials on Iran’s nuclear program, with U.S. President Donald Trump aiming to reach a deal to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Both sides negotiated through Omani mediators and the report made progress, but Iran’s top representative said work still needed to close the difference. Negotiations will continue next week.
Iran said it could open up containment of its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions, but insisted that it would not stop enriching uranium. It insists on its nuclear program for civilian use.
This year’s talks mark the first senior involvement between the United States and Iran since 2018, when Trump withdrew from previous deals in his first term to limit Iran’s nuclear activities and restore economic sanctions.
