48 hours after explosion, firefighters still battling blazes at Iranian port

Firefighters in Iran are continuing to battle raging fires at the country’s largest commercial port, two days after a massive explosion killed at least 40 people, Iranian state TV reports.

The blast took place on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in Iran’s south near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes.

It killed at least 40 people and injured more than 1,000 others, officials said, after triggering smaller explosions and fires in nearby containers.

Iran’s state TV shows images of firefighters dousing the flames, and said the damage will be assessed after the fire is fully brought under control.

Thick, swirling plumes of smoke rose over the stacked containers at the site, the TV images show.

It is not immediately clear what caused the explosion but the port’s customs office said it likely resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazardous and chemical materials storage depot.

An individual tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly confirmed the explosion occurred in a shipment from China of a chemical used to produce missile fuel.

Aerial footage shows fires still burning at Rajaei port in Bandar Abbas on Monday, the third day since a massive explosion rocked the site. pic.twitter.com/CL187ikcsX

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 28, 2025