Huge blast at key Iranian port kills 18 and injures 800

At least 18 people have been killed and 800 injured in a massive explosion at one of Iran's key ports, authorities say.

On Saturday morning, the explosion occurred at Shahid Rajaee, the country's largest commercial port near Bandar Abbas in the south. It destroyed automobiles and blew out the roofs and windows of nearby buildings. The blast's impact could be felt up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) away, according to residents. The BBC verified videos, which show a growing fire leading up to a massive explosion. Some people flee the blast, while others are injured and lying on roads surrounded by smoking debris. "The entire warehouse was filled with smoke, dust and ashes. One person who was in the area told Iranian state television, "I don't remember if I went under the table or was thrown there by the blast." Aerial footage showed at least three areas ablaze and Iran's interior minister later confirmed that the fire was spreading from one container to another. It has been ordered that offices and schools in the region will remain closed on Sunday. One private maritime risk consultancy said it believed the affected containers had contained solid fuel destined for ballistic missiles.

According to Ambrey Intelligence, the fire was caused by "improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles." Ambrey went on to say that it knew that a ship with Iran's flag "discharged a shipment of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel at the port in March 2025." The Financial Times newspaper had previously reported that two vessels had shipped fuel to Iran from China.

State media quoted witnesses as saying the explosion occurred after a fire broke out and spread to unsealed containers storing "flammable materials".

Customs officials later released a statement reported by Iranian state TV saying the explosion had probably resulted from a fire that had broken out in a hazmat and chemical materials storage depot.

Ambrey said in a later update that Iran's National Disaster Management Organization said officials had warned Shahid Rajaee port about safe chemical storage. Shahid Rajaee port is Iran's largest and most advanced terminal, through which much of the country's commercial shipping transits.

It is approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Bandar Abbas, Iran's major port city on its south coast and home to the main base of the Iranian Navy. It is on the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping channel for oil cargo. Iran's national oil production company said the explosion at the port had "no connection" to the country's oil refineries, fuel tanks and pipelines, local media reported.

Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, has expressed "deep regret and sympathy" for the victims. He has announced a government investigation and sent the interior minister to the region to lead it.

The explosion on Saturday occurred at the same time as the most recent round of talks between US and Iranian officials about Iran's nuclear program. US President Donald Trump wanted to reach a deal that would stop Tehran from getting nuclear weapons. Negotiating through Oman mediators, both sides reported that progress had been made, but Iran's top representative said work was still needed to narrow differences. Next week, negotiations will continue. While insisting that it will not stop enriching uranium, Iran has stated that it is open to restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for the loosening of sanctions. It insists that it is developing nuclear weapons for civilian use. This year's talks have marked the first high-level engagement between the United States and Iran since 2018, when Trump's first term ended a previous agreement to limit Iran's nuclear activities and reinstituted economic sanctions.