Deadly explosion at Iranian port caused by container terminal fire

Iran’s state-backed media, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said 40 people had died and more than 1,000 had been injured in a "massive explosion [that] ravaged Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas" and reportedly shattered windows in a radius of several kilometres around the port.

IRNA said "significant damage" at the port was limited to one of the 23 piers, and the director of Iran’s Red Crescent Society told state media the fire was 90% extinguished, though images from the Iranian Students’ News Agency showed a thick plume of smoke rising from the port on 28 April. Officials have said port activities have resumed in parts of the Bandar Abbas port facility.

In its reports, Ambrey said video footage from the Shahid Rajaee Terminal in the port of Bandar Abbas, Iran, showed the explosion was caused by a fire at the container terminal. The port is in southern Iran on the Strait of Hormuz. 

Ambrey’s incident report cited a claim that improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles had caused the fire. 

"Ambrey is aware that an Iran-flagged general cargo vessel discharged a shipment of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel at the port in March 2025," the report said. A New York Times report also quoted an anonymous Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked source as saying what exploded was sodium perchlorate.

A spokesperson for Iran’s Defence Ministry disputed the claim, saying the port was not housing any military cargo and the report "aligned with enemy psyops", according to Reuters.

Reuters said a spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management organisation "appeared on Saturday to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee".

Ambrey’s report said there has been no confirmed damage to merchant vessels or casualties among merchant ship crews. Ambrey observed 12 merchant vessels within five nautical miles of the explosion when the incident occurred, seven of which it said were berthed at Shahid Rajaee.

IRNA reported Iran’s Minister of Interior Eskandar Momeni said on 27 April that the cause of the incident is under investigation and a committee is collecting evidence related to the explosion.

"He assured the Iranian public those responsible would be held accountable. Mr Momeni also said rescue and firefighting teams responded promptly to extinguish the fire and mitigate its spread," according to IRNA.

The Iranian government’s website said President Masoud Pezeshkian "has been actively overseeing the situation and mobilising resources to support the victims" and "stressed the need for a thorough and precise investigation to understand the causes of the explosion and prevent future occurrences".