A massive explosion at Shahid Rajaei port, Iran’s largest port facility in southern Iran, on Saturday killed at least 40 people and injured over 1,200 others, according to Iranian state media.
A massive explosion, possibly caused by ammonium nitrate the same highly-explosive chemical which caused the Beirut explosion in 2020, has rocked the port of Bandar Abbas this morning in Southern Iran. Iranian media is reporting over 400 injures, while the death toll is still… pic.twitter.com/TrVkR70Zzy
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 26, 2025
According to reports, the blast caused an extensive fire at the port. Helicopters and aircraft worked overnight into Sunday morning, dropping seawater on the flames in an effort to contain the blaze.
🔴 Night 2:
The fires in Bandar Abbas are flaring up again. The entire port is burning to the ground at this rate.
— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) April 27, 2025
Aerial fire fighting playing a major role as Iranian military deploys Ilyushin IL-76TD water bomber and helicopters to drop Fire extinguishing powder bags at the port in Bandar Abbas.
Even after 22 hours, the fire at Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas is still burning.… pic.twitter.com/fWRoy9TtET
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) April 27, 2025
By Sunday afternoon, Iranian authorities reported that approximately 80% of the fire had been brought under control.
The cause of the explosion remains unclear. However, a report from the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, citing customs officials, stated that the blast was caused by hazardous chemical materials stored in the port area.
Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the national security and foreign policy committee of the Iranian parliament, stated on X that initial reports revealed that the explosion had “nothing to do with Iran’s defense sector.”
The blast occurred as Iranian and American officials met for the third round of nuclear negotiations in Oman. Although no direct link between the negotiations and the explosion has been confirmed, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noted that Iran’s security services remained on high alert, citing previous sabotage and assassination attempts.
The port of Bandar Abbas, particularly its Shahid Rajaei section, is critical for Iran’s economy and military operations.
According to Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies, the port served not only as the largest commercial hub but also as a logistical channel for transferring weapons to groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis.
