Death toll rises to 40 after massive explosion at Iranian port

A massive explosion at a port in southern Iran killed at least 40 people and injured more than 1,200 others, according to Iranian officials. The blast caused widespread damage across the area and triggered an intense fire that is still burning.

The explosion occurred shortly after 12 p.m. local time on Saturday at the Port of Shahid Rajaee near Bandar Abbas and was powerful enough to shatter windows, cause structural damage to buildings several kilometers away, and even collapse at least one building, according to Iranian state media.

Authorities confirmed on Sunday that 40 people were killed and 1,205 others were injured as a result of the explosion. Many of the injured remain hospitalized, with emergency teams continuing rescue and recovery operations at the site.

Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, who visited the site overnight, said that efforts to control the main source of the fire were ongoing despite strong winds and difficult weather conditions. Authorities estimate that about 2,000 shipping containers had been destroyed.

According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, officials said false declarations were made regarding the nature of imported cargo stored at the port. Saeid Jafari, CEO of Sina Port and Marine Services Company, told Iran’s ILNA that highly dangerous materials had been mislabeled as regular goods and improperly stored, resulting in the devastating blast.

The Shahid Rajaee Port, one of Iran’s busiest and most critical commercial hubs, is located just outside Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping lane. The full extent of damage to the port’s infrastructure and its impact on maritime operations remains unclear as firefighting and rescue efforts continue.