A thick black smoke rises as rescuers arrive near the source of an explosion in the port of Shahid Rajaee, southwest of Bandar Abbas, in the Iranian province of Hormozgan, on April 26, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Rasole Moradi / AFP.)
A 'powerful explosion' in Iran on Saturday resulted in at least five deaths and more than 700 injuries in a major port in the south of the country, according to a new provisional toll from Iranian state media, without providing details on the cause of the incident so far.
'A powerful explosion occurred on a dock at Shahid Rajaei port,' a local port administration official, Esmaeil Malekizadeh, told television. This port, crucial for trade, is located more than a thousand kilometers south of Tehran near the large city of Bandar Abbas, which faces the Strait of Hormuz.
'I order the opening of an investigation'
At least '700 people were injured and hundreds have been transferred to medical centers,' the official Tasnim agency reported. 'Unfortunately, at least five deaths have been confirmed by rescuers,' added Babak Mahmoudi, the head of rescue operations at the Iranian Red Crescent, to state television. Three Chinese nationals were 'slightly injured', according to Chinese state television CCTV, citing the Bandar Abbas consulate.
Images from the official Irna news agency show rescuers rushing to the scene, from where a thick column of black smoke is rising, and an injured man with a bloodied face near a truck on a road close to the port. A car covered in blood stains is embedded in a large truck. At the port, stacked containers appear to have buckled under the explosion's force.
Shahid Rajaei is Iran's largest commercial port, according to the official Irna news agency. More than 70% of Iran's goods pass through this port, which borders the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil production transits.
In a statement relayed by state television, the port customs also indicated that the disaster was likely caused by a fire in a storage depot for hazardous and chemical materials. 'The incident is due to the explosion of several containers stored in the dock area of Shahid Rajaei port,' stated Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, a local rescue official.
'While expressing my deep regrets and sympathy to the victims of the incident in Hormozgan province, I order the opening of an investigation,' announced Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian on X, adding that Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni would visit the site. The United Arab Emirates sent a message of solidarity to Iran, mentioning 'the deaths, hundreds of injuries and significant damage.'
'Shockwave'
Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that anonymous Israeli military officials denied any involvement of Israeli services in this incident: 'The army has nothing to do with the explosion in Iran,' one of them said.
The detonation was heard within a fifty-kilometer radius, according to the Fars news agency. 'The shockwave was so strong that most port buildings were severely damaged,' stated the Tasnim news agency.
The number of employees present at the time of the explosion is not immediately known, while Saturday is the first working day of the week in Iran. The national oil distribution company declared that the oil facilities had not been damaged and are 'currently functioning normally.'
Explosions of this magnitude are rare in Iran, but the country has experienced deadly incidents in recent months. Last September, an explosion at a coal mine resulted in over 50 deaths.
The Iran-U.S. talks continue in Oman
This incident occurs as Iran and the United States began a third round of crucial negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue on Saturday in Oman, following previous exchanges deemed constructive by both countries since the start of the month.
These discussions between the two parties, mediated by Oman, began shortly before 8:30 a.m. (GMT), several Iranian media reported. They are continuing 'in a serious atmosphere,' according to an Iranian diplomacy spokesperson.
The parties are exchanging their positions on 'the effective easing of sanctions' and establishing trust regarding the 'peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program,' he clarified. He added, 'The discussions are about Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.'
This third round of negotiations follows indirect talks that have already been held on April 12 in Muscat, and then on April 19 in Rome.
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