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At least 25 people were killed in an explosion at Iran's largest commercial port on Saturday morning. The incident took place near Bandar Abbas, Shahid Razai port in southern Iran.
Eight hundred people were injured in the explosion and the fire is still raging, according to various government media.
BBC reports that the blast blew out windows and roofs of nearby buildings and destroyed vehicles. Local residents said that the impact of the explosion was felt up to 50 kilometers away. According to the official media, 6 people are still missing.
Videos verified by the BBC show the fire growing and causing a huge explosion, after which people are seen fleeing in fear and some injured, covered in smoke and lying in the streets .
The port's customs office said in a televised statement that the explosion was likely caused by a fire at a hazardous and chemical material storage depot.
'The entire warehouse was full of smoke, dust and ashes . I myself went under the table, I don't remember whether the explosion happened there,' the eyewitness of the incident told Iranian state TV.
In the video taken from the sky, at least three places are seen on fire . Iran's interior minister also said that the fire is spreading from one container to another. Schools and offices in the area have been ordered to remain closed on Sunday.
According to a private maritime security consulting company, the containers that exploded were carrying solid fuel for 'ballistic missiles'. According to Embry Intelligence, the fire occurred when the cargo of solid fuel used in the Iranian "ballistic missile" was not properly handled. An Iranian-flagged ship dropped sodium perchlorate, or rocket fuel, at the port in March 2025, according to Embrey.
The Financial Times magazine has already mentioned that two ships have sent fuel from China to Iran, according to the BBC. State media quoted eyewitnesses as saying, 'The explosion occurred when the fire spread to flammable materials in open containers.'
In an update later released by Embrey, Iran's National Disaster Management Organization said officials had already warned the Shahid Rajai port about safe storage of chemicals. The port is located in the middle of the Strait of Hormuz, which is the main route for oil shipments. It is located about 20 kilometers west of Bandar Abbas, a major port city on the southern coast of Iran. The main base of the Iranian Navy is also located here.
According to local media, Iran's National Oil Production Company said the explosion at the port had nothing to do with the country's oil refineries, fuel tanks and pipelines .
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has sent the Minister of Interior to the area on behalf of the government to investigate the incident while expressing his condolence over the incident.
At the time of the explosion, Iranian and US officials were in the midst of renewed talks on Iran's nuclear program. During the talks, US President Donald Trump was trying to reach an agreement to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
