Fires continue to burn at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port near Bandar Abbas following a devastating explosion on April 26 that killed at least 40 people and injured more than 800, according to Iranian state media outlet IRNA. Earlier figures from IRNA had placed the number of injured at 1,139.
Footage captured by CCTV at the port, believed to show the moment of the blast, reveals thick smoke pouring from a shipping container, followed by a sudden eruption of intense flames as workers flee the scene by foot and vehicle.
Additional videos filmed from a distance depict a massive fireball rising above the port, leaving behind a dense column of black smoke.
Security consultancy Ambrey has suggested that the port had received a shipment of sodium perchlorate in March—an oxidizer commonly used in rocket fuels and explosives. According to the Financial Times, two containerized shipments totaling over 1,000 tonnes of the chemical left China in January, destined for Shahid Rajaee, enough to supply around 260 mid-range ballistic missiles.
Speculation has centered on the possibility that improper storage of the highly reactive material triggered the catastrophic explosion.
Iran’s Defense Ministry has denied these claims, labeling them “targeted misinformation and propaganda” by foreign media outlets, and insisted that no military fuel shipments were present in the affected area of the port.
In response to the disaster, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered a full investigation into the incident and has traveled to Bandar Abbas to meet with victims and oversee emergency response efforts. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly directed emergency aircraft to the region to support firefighting operations, according to IRNA.
Shahid Rajaee port, situated near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, handles approximately 80% of Iran’s container traffic, underscoring the potential economic impact of the ongoing fires.
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