14 dead, hundreds injured in explosion at Iranian port, officials say

The Port of Shahid Rajaee is a critical port in Iran.

At least 14 people died and hundreds have been injured following an explosion at one of Iran’s most important ports, according to Iranian state media.

The explosion originated in a container at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, according to state media outlet Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

At least 750 people were injured in the explosion and subsequent fire, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which cited a spokesperson for Iran’s emergency services.

Black smoke rises in the sky as vehicles drive on the road after a massive explosion rocked a port near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, April 26, 2025.

Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA via AP

Video posted to social media shows damaged buildings filled with smoke.

Emergency services rushed to the scene following the explosion. The port plays a key role in trade in the country and is responsible for the vast majority of loading and unloading of goods in Iranian ports.

Heavily damaged cars lie along a devastated boulevard following an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port dock southwest of Bandar Abbas in the Iranian province of Hormozgan, on April 26, 2025.

Mohammad Rasole Moradi/IRNA/AFP via Getty Images