Explosion at Iranian Port Claims Over 40 Lives

The death toll from the devastating explosion and fire at Shahid Rajaee Port near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran has climbed to at least 40, according to the latest update from Iranian officials.

The massive blast occurred early Saturday morning, damaging several nearby buildings and sparking additional fires throughout the area. Authorities report that more than 1,000 individuals sustained injuries as a result of the incident.

Aerial footage captured widespread fires across at least three locations near the port. In response, local authorities ordered the closure of schools and offices on Sunday to aid rescue efforts and support emergency crews working to extinguish the blazes and assist the injured.

Iranian officials have not yet confirmed the precise cause of the explosion. However, Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management organization, pointed to improper storage of chemicals at the port as a likely factor.

“The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers,” Zafari told Iran’s ILNA news agency.

British maritime security company Ambrey offered further analysis, suggesting that the containers involved likely held solid fuel intended for Iranian ballistic missiles.

“The fire was the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles,” Ambrey stated, noting that an Iran-flagged vessel had previously unloaded a cargo of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel at Shahid Rajaee Port in March 2025.

Zafari also mentioned that prior warnings had been issued to port authorities regarding the safe storage of hazardous chemicals during previous inspections.

Shahid Rajaee Port serves as Iran’s primary container hub, managing the majority of the nation's containerized cargo. The port, strategically located on the Strait of Hormuz, was previously targeted in a cyberattack in May 2020, an incident Iran attributed to Israel.

Despite the extent of the damage, Iranian officials reported that oil facilities in the area were unaffected by the explosion. No injuries among ship crews or damage to vessels at the port have been confirmed.