Saturday, March 29, 2025
A powerful explosion ripped through Iran’s largest commercial port on Saturday, killing at least 18 people and injuring over 800 others in a disaster that shook the southern city of Bandar Abbas and surrounding areas.
The incident struck Shahid Rajaee port, a critical hub on the Strait of Hormuz, sending shockwaves as far as 50 kilometers away. Homes and buildings were damaged, cars destroyed, and highways littered with rubble in the aftermath.
Videos circulating on social media captured a fierce fire that escalated before the devastating explosion. Footage showed people fleeing for safety and others injured, lying amid smoking debris.
Witnesses described terrifying scenes, with one individual telling state media: “The warehouse was filled with smoke and dust — I can’t even remember if I dived under the table or was thrown there by the force.”
Aerial images showed at least three large areas engulfed in flames. Authorities quickly confirmed the fire was spreading between containers. As a safety measure, schools and offices in the region have been ordered to shut down.
According to private risk consultancy Ambrey Intelligence, the blast was likely caused by mishandling a shipment of solid rocket fuel intended for ballistic missiles.
Ambrey also noted that an Iran-flagged ship had previously delivered sodium perchlorate rocket fuel to the port in March 2025. Financial Times reports had earlier pointed to shipments of fuel arriving from China.
Iranian state media suggested that the explosion began after a fire spread to unsealed containers holding flammable materials. Customs officials said the blaze likely started in a hazardous materials storage depot.
Iran’s disaster management officials had reportedly issued prior warnings about chemical safety at Shahid Rajaee port, raising concerns about ignored protocols.
Shahid Rajaee is Iran’s most advanced shipping terminal and a vital point for the country’s trade routes. It sits about 20km west of Bandar Abbas and near the Iranian Navy’s main base.
Despite the blast’s scale, Iranian oil officials confirmed there was no damage to nearby oil refineries, pipelines, or fuel tanks.
President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the victims’ families and launched an urgent investigation, assigning the interior minister to oversee operations on the ground.
The explosion came as Iran and the United States were engaged in delicate negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, with talks mediated by Oman.
Both sides reported signs of progress, although major hurdles remain. Iran has indicated willingness to limit parts of its nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief but has refused to halt uranium enrichment, maintaining its program is for civilian use.
The talks mark the first significant US-Iran diplomatic engagement since 2018, when former President Donald Trump withdrew from the original nuclear agreement.
Negotiations are set to resume next week amid global scrutiny.
