A large explosion followed by a fire occurred at the Shahid Rajaei port in southern Iran on April 26, resulting in at least 70 fatalities and over 1,000 injuries, as confirmed by Iranian officials. The incident took place at Iran’s largest commercial port near Bandar Abbas.
Throughout the night and into Sunday morning, helicopters and aircraft were deployed to drop water on the fire while emergency crews attempted to control the blaze. Provincial Governor Mohammad Ashouri announced three days of mourning. Meanwhile, state television reported that port functions had resumed by Sunday, April 27, showing footage of containers being offloaded from a commercial ship.
The cause is still under investigation, with Iranian authorities citing negligence. Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi pointed to “negligence, including noncompliance with safety precautions” as the reason. The Customs Administration of Iran attributed the explosion to a stockpile of hazardous materials and chemicals stored in the port, without providing detailed information.
Private security firm Ambrey reported that the port received a shipment of ammonium perchlorate from China in March, a chemical used in missile propellant. Ambrey suggested the fire resulted from mishandling solid fuel intended for Iranian ballistic missiles. Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press placed one of the vessels believed to be carrying the chemical in the port’s vicinity in March.
Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Reza Talaeinik denied these claims, stating on Sunday, “No sort of imported and exporting consignment for fuel or military application was (or) is in the site of the port,” during a phone call with state TV. He labeled foreign reports about missile fuel as “baseless.”
Satellite images revealed two significant craters at the port, illustrating the explosion’s force. Verified videos analyzed by CBS News partner BBC News showed a growing fire before the explosion. The blast was so strong that it was felt and heard up to 31 miles away, with social media videos displaying glass blown out of buildings far from the blast center.
One eyewitness filmed the moments before the explosion, giving warnings to others. “Get back, get back! Tell the gas truck to go! Tell him to go, it’s going to blow up! Oh God, this is blowing up! Everybody evacuate! Get back! Get back!” the person can be heard saying in video footage posted on YouTube.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian inspected the blast site on Sunday, observing containers that were smashed or scattered.
Pir Hossein Kolivand, head of Iran’s Red Crescent society, indicated that of the approximately 1,000 injured, only 190 remained hospitalized by Sunday. The crisis management director mentioned that the firefighting effort was concluding by Sunday afternoon, with reports of the fire being under control.
The cargo involved in the fire was reportedly not registered or formally declared before the incident, according to the Customs Administration.
The governor estimated that around 3,700 acres of the port area were significantly impacted. The Shahid Rajaei port is crucial for Iran’s economy, managing about 70% of the nation’s goods.
Concerns have arisen regarding why such potentially hazardous materials were stored at a civilian port, especially after the catastrophic Beirut port explosion in 2020, which resulted from the ignition of hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate and caused over 200 deaths and injuries to more than 6,000 individuals.
The explosion occurred as Iran and the United States met on April 26 in Oman for the third round of nuclear program negotiations. Although no Iranian officials have directly suggested the explosion was an attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noted earlier in the week that “our security services are on high alert given past instances of attempted sabotage and assassination operations designed to provoke a legitimate response.”
The Shahid Rajaei port has faced attacks previously. In 2020, a cyberattack linked to Israel targeted the site. This followed Israel’s report of preventing a cyberattack on its water systems, which it attributed to Iran.
Located approximately 650 miles southeast of Tehran, the Shahid Rajaei port is situated on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical channel through which 20% of global oil trade passes. The port’s strategic importance has raised concerns about the explosion’s potential impact on regional trade and security.
As investigations proceed, the authorities have reportedly identified and summoned individuals believed responsible for the negligence leading to the explosion. The incident has sparked both mourning and anger among locals regarding safety protocols at this vital port facility.
