A large explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.
At least four were killed and 516 people were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, and it is unclear whether there are fatalities, Reuters reported.
The explosion reportedly occurred near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base, Army Radio reported.
The IDF has denied any involvement in the explosion, Maariv reported, citing sources within the military.
דיווח באיראן: הסיבה לפיצוץ בנמל שהיד רג'אי שבדרום המדינה – מיכל דלקים גדול התפוצץ, צוותי חירום בזירה@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/wX4ennfYod
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 26, 2025
Footage online shows large mushroom clouds emerging from the site of the explosion.
ویدیوهای رسیده حاکی است روز شنبه ششم اردیبهشت‌ماه انفجاری مهیب در محدوده بندر رجایی در بندرعباس رخ داده است.به گفته رسانه‌ها، هنوز جزییاتی از علت این انفجار منتشر نشده اما شدت انفجار به حدی بوده که مردم در بندرعباس و قشم نیز صدای آن را شنیده‌اند. pic.twitter.com/8oltblYGLA
— ايران اينترنشنال (@IranIntl) April 26, 2025
"The source of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area. We are currently evacuating and transferring the injured to medical centers," a local crisis management official told state TV.
Reuters said that efforts were ongoing to extinguish a significant fire, with the port's customs saying that trucks were being evacuated from the area and that the container yard where the explosion occurred likely contained "dangerous goods and chemicals."
State TV said "negligence in handling flammable materials was a contributing factor" in the explosion.
Oil facilities were not affected by the blast as the National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company issued a statement saying, "The explosion and fire in Shahid Rajaee Port have no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes, and oil pipelines related to this company."
The large blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometers, Iranian media said, with footage shared online showing a mushroom cloud forming following the explosion.
Conflict between Tehran and Israel
The explosion came amid nuclear talks with Washington after concerns that Tehran was illegally enriching uranium to a level capable of producing nuclear weaponry.
Since the Israel-Hamas war ignited in 2023, Tehran and Jerusalem have launched direct attacks against each other. Tehran first launched an aerial attack across Israel in April, and tensions have continued to escalate.