Amid tensions with the United States on a nuclear deal, a massive explosion hit Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas killing at least four and injuring over 500.
Videos that appeared on social media showed black billowing smoke after the blast. State media reported a "massive explosion" at Shahid Rajaei, the country's largest commercial port located in Hormozgan province.
A massive explosion, possibly caused by ammonium nitrate the same highly-explosive chemical which caused the Beirut explosion in 2020, has rocked the port of Bandar Abbas this morning in Southern Iran. Iranian media is reporting over 400 injures, while the death toll is still… pic.twitter.com/TrVkR70Zzy
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 26, 2025
According to officials, at least 516 people were injured in the incident. Those injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 26, 2025
More than 600 people were wounded in today’s massive explosion in Banda Abbas in southwestern Iran.
It now turns out that the explosion took place right next to the HQ of the IRGC’s naval forces
Some military experts believe a missile shipment from China was blown up pic.twitter.com/d2Bj7Ap2UL
Initial media reports on the explosion indicated negligence in the storage of flammable materials at the site. However, authorities have not officially revealed the cause of the explosion.
The more I read about this explosion today in Bandar Abbas, the more I think about the reports about those #Iran cargo ships docking in Bandar Abbas after departing #China with missile components. pic.twitter.com/X0Rxrx51Na
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) April 26, 2025
Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, a provincial disaster management official, told Iranian state media that the blast came from containers at Shahid Rajaei port in the city, without elaborating.
An investigation into the incident was launched by the Interior Ministry.
Shahid Rajaei port in Hormozgan province is some 1,050 kilometres southeast of Iran's capital, Tehran, on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 per cent of all oil traded passes.
Iran, US nuclear deal talks in Oman
The explosion happened as Iran and the United States resumed their nuclear talks on Saturday in Oman. This is the third round of negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme.
Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived on Friday in Oman and met Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has mediated the two previous rounds of talks in Muscat and Rome. US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff also arrived on Friday.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to target Iran with airstrikes if a nuclear deal is not reached anytime soon. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting some of the economic sanctions imposed by the US on Iran.
