The first explosion happened at 12.10pm local time (8.40pm Saturday NZT) at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, 1000km south of Tehran, the capital.
“The explosion occurred in a part of the Shahid Rajaee Port dock, and we are extinguishing the fire,” Esmaeil Malekizadeh, a regional port official, told state television.
Cause of blast unknown
Mohammad Ashouri, the local governor, described the blast as “massive” while acknowledging the cause remained unclear.
“For now, our focus is to control and extinguish the fire and there will be an investigation after that,” he said.
In an apparent attempt to downplay the impact of the blasts, the Islamic Republic’s state TV continued to claim on Saturday evening that the situation was in order.
During one live news segment from the port, a reporter insisted that everything was under control even as explosions could be heard in the background and a thick cloud of smoke rose from the scene.
The Government has also warned the public and media not to spread “false information” about the explosion, saying it could disrupt rescue efforts and cause unnecessary panic.
The situation on the ground appeared dire, however.
Blood donations sought
Emergency services responded, sending more than a dozen ambulances to the port, and authorities in Bandar Abbas urgently called for blood donations, especially O-negative.
Online footage showed long queues outside a medical centre as people rushed to donate blood.
“We immediately dispatched 15 ambulances and helicopters to standby,” Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of the province’s crisis management authority, told state television.
There have been previous warnings about safety at the port. Photo / AFP
Previous warnings
Local officials reported that the facility had previously received warnings about safety measures, though no details were provided about specific concerns.
The explosions originated from several containers at the port, which is Iran’s most technologically advanced shipping facility. Nearby buildings sustained severe damage, and authorities evacuated the area.
Windows in residential buildings up to 25km from the port were shattered, and residents reported feeling tremors. One witness said: “There was a huge explosion. The doors of all the shops swung open and shut, and I felt the ground shake.”
He added: “I was in my car when the blast wave hit and damaged it – I had to jump out”.
Another witness said: “Even though our windows had good-quality glass, they all shattered into pieces”.
Effects on shipping
Shahid Rajaee Port holds significant strategic importance as it sits just north of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil output passes.
The blast’s impact on shipping operations remains unclear.
Iran’s customs administration, in an urgent directive to all customs offices, announced a suspension of sending export and transit shipments to the port in Bandar Abbas until further notice.
As firefighting efforts continue, officials have not yet provided information about what triggered the explosions or potential environmental consequences from the blaze.
Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, travelled to Bandar Abbas to oversee the response and has ordered a special investigation.
Mohammad Movahedi Azad, Iran’s Prosecutor-General also called for a swift and thorough inquiry, stressing that any negligence must be punished.
Cyber attack
In 2020, computers at the same port were hit by a cyber attack that caused massive back-ups on waterways and roads leading to the facility. The Washington Post had reported that Israel appeared to be behind that incident as retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyber attack.
The explosion came as Iran and the United States held in-depth negotiations in Oman over Tehran’s nuclear programme for the third time this month.
The talks are aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for the potential lifting of sanctions.
Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, arrived in Muscat to meet Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy.
Nuclear talks
US President Donald Trump is seeking an agreement to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb and has warned of a military strike if an agreement is not forthcoming.
Iran wants a release of the sanctions that have crippled its economy.
Araghchi said differences remained between the Iranian and US sides after a third round of nuclear talks concluded in Oman.
“There are differences in both the major issues and in the details,” Araghchi told state TV in Muscat, adding that “the negotiations this time were much more serious than before”.
He said: “The presence of experts was very helpful. We have exchanged our thoughts in text several times as the talks are indirect.
He added: “They had questions which we answered in text and then we had questions which they answered”.
Araghchi said another round of talks, mediated by Oman, will be held next Saturday.
The US on Saturday hailed its latest round of nuclear talks with Iran as “positive and productive”, and said the two sides had agreed to meet again soon in Europe, a senior Administration official said.
“This latest round of direct and indirect discussions lasted over four hours. There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
“We agreed to meet again soon, in Europe, and we thank our Omani partners for facilitating these talks.”
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60% purity, above the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 agreement but below the 90% needed for weapons-grade material.
Western countries have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, while Tehran maintains its programme is for peaceful civilian purposes.
