A powerful explosion rocked the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Saturday, April 26, 2025, injuring at least 281 people, according to state media and officials. The blast occurred in the Sina container yard, linked to Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation, over 1,000 kilometres south of Tehran.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of Hormozgan province’s crisis management agency, reported that the explosion stemmed from several containers stored at the port’s wharf. He noted that safety officials had previously warned about flammable materials stored at the site, suggesting negligence may have contributed to the incident. Emergency services quickly mobilised, transferring the injured to medical facilities across Hormozgan province.
BREAKING | A massive explosion has been reported at the Port of Shahid Rajaee, one of two sections within the Port of Bandar Abbas, located on the north shore of the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran.
According to Mehr News Agency, a fuel tank in the port exploded due to unknown… pic.twitter.com/vN8r4yHyCT
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) April 26, 2025Esmaeil Malekizadeh, an official from the Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration, confirmed the blast occurred near the Shahid Rajaee port dock, a key hub for container traffic and petrochemical storage. Social media videos captured thick black smoke, large flames, and damage to nearby buildings and vehicles, with locals aiding the wounded.
The cause of the explosion remains unclear, and authorities have launched a detailed investigation. In 2020, the same port faced a suspected Israeli cyberattack that disrupted operations, raising questions about potential external factors, though no evidence links the two events. The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company clarified that oil facilities were unaffected.
⚡️🚨 Iran – Massive explosion in the port of Rajai in the city of Bandar Abbas caused by an explosion of a container near a fuel store. pic.twitter.com/w7uNJElO8s
— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) April 26, 2025During Iran’s nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, this incident underscores Bandar Abbas’s strategic importance near the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities are working to extinguish the fire and secure the area while investigating the blast’s origins.
