A powerful explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, has left at least 281 people injured. The blast occurred on Saturday, coinciding with the start of Iran’s third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, although the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
According to a local crisis management official, the explosion originated from several containers stored at the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area. The official confirmed that emergency response teams were evacuating the injured and transporting them to nearby medical centers. The incident’s full impact remains unclear, as it has not been confirmed whether any fatalities occurred.
State TV cited first responders who reported the number of injuries. Meanwhile, footage from Tasnim News Agency depicted injured individuals receiving treatment on the road, amid scenes of confusion and chaos. Efforts to extinguish a significant fire at the site are ongoing, with local customs authorities evacuating trucks from the area. The explosion occurred in a container yard that was believed to contain dangerous goods and chemicals.
State TV reported that negligence in handling flammable materials might have contributed to the explosion. However, there has been no confirmation yet regarding the exact nature of the goods involved.
The National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company issued a statement confirming that the explosion did not affect Iran’s oil facilities. “The explosion and fire in Shahid Rajaee Port have no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes, or oil pipelines related to this company,” the statement read.
The explosion was so powerful that it shattered windows within a several-kilometer radius. Online footage showed a mushroom cloud forming above the port area. Local reports from Fars News confirmed that the blast was heard in Qeshm, an island located 26 kilometers (16 miles) south of Bandar Abbas.
This incident is not the first time Shahid Rajaee Port has been involved in a major event. In 2020, a cyberattack reportedly targeted the port’s computer systems, resulting in massive backups on surrounding waterways and roads. Media outlets, including The Washington Post, speculated that Israel was behind that cyberattack, possibly as retaliation for an earlier attack on Iranian systems.
At the time of writing, there has been no official comment from Israeli authorities, including the Israeli military or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, regarding any involvement in the recent explosion.
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