Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, confirmed the updated death toll during a visit to the site, stating that all available resources, including teams from Tehran and neighboring cities, had been mobilized to contain the disaster. “We hope to fully extinguish the fire in the coming hours,” Momeni said on state television.
Bandar Abbas, Iran – A devastating explosion tore through Shahid Rajaee, Iran’s largest commercial port, on Saturday, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 750, according to Iranian authorities.
The explosion, which occurred shortly before noon local time (0830 GMT) in the southern province of Hormozgan, triggered a massive fire that burned for over 10 hours. Emergency crews battled intense flames, further complicated by strong winds, state media reported. The shockwave was felt as far as 50 kilometers away, damaging surrounding buildings and shattering windows.
Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, confirmed the updated death toll during a visit to the site, stating that all available resources, including teams from Tehran and neighboring cities, had been mobilized to contain the disaster. “We hope to fully extinguish the fire in the coming hours,” Momeni said on state television.
Images circulated by the IRNA news agency depicted scenes of widespread devastation: trucks ablaze, crushed vehicles stained with blood, and rescue helicopters dumping water on thick plumes of black smoke rising from the stacks of containers. Many injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, with the provincial blood transfusion service issuing an urgent appeal for blood donations.
Initial reports from the port’s customs office suggested that the blast likely originated from a fire in a warehouse storing hazardous and chemical materials. Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of Hormozgan’s crisis management authority, later confirmed that several containers had exploded at the port’s wharf area.
Saturday’s explosion struck during peak working hours, as weekends in Iran start on Thursday evening, meaning Shahid Rajaee Port was operating at full capacity when the incident occurred. The port, located about 23 kilometers west of Bandar Abbas and close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, handles a significant portion of Iran’s container shipping.
Authorities moved swiftly in response to the disaster. Schools, offices, and universities across Bandar Abbas were ordered shut on Sunday due to the spread of heavy smoke. The National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company reassured the public that nearby oil refineries and fuel distribution facilities remained unaffected and continued operations without disruption.
Among the hundreds injured were three Chinese nationals, who sustained only minor injuries, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV. Meanwhile, a video shared widely on social media – though not independently verified – showed the harrowing aftermath, with a distraught man mourning a friend lost in the blast.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the victims’ families and ordered an immediate investigation. Interior Minister Momeni was tasked with leading the inquiry into the causes of the explosion.
The disaster drew international sympathy, with the United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry conveying its solidarity with Iran. The tragedy comes just months after Iran’s last major workplace catastrophe — a deadly coal mine gas leak in Tabas in September that killed over 50 miners.
The timing of the explosion is particularly sensitive, coinciding with ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Iran and the United States in Oman concerning Tehran’s nuclear program. Reports suggest that both sides had been making tentative progress.
The Shahid Rajaee Port, located over 1,000 kilometers south of Tehran, is a vital part of Iran’s trade infrastructure and a critical hub near one of the world’s most strategic maritime chokepoints.
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