Bandar Abass, April 26— Four people have been killed and over 500 injured in a massive explosion at Iran's Shahid Rajaee port near Bandar Abbas on Saturday.
The explosion of several containers was the initial cause of the blast at Iran's Bandar Abbas port, according to the Tehran Times.
Social media videos showed black billowing smoke after the blast and glass blown out of buildings kilometers away from the epicenter of the explosion.
State media footage showed ambulances arriving as medics rushing injured on stretchers.
The National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company stated that the explosion did not impact its infrastructure, including refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes, or oil pipelines.
The incident coincided with ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations in Oman, adding possible political implications to the event.
Shahid Rajaee port is Iran's largest commercial port, handling approximately 80 million tons of goods annually. Located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, it serves as a critical hub for the country's maritime trade.
The port is situated approximately 23 kilometers west of Bandar Abbas and is adjacent to facilities operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In 2020, the port was targeted in a suspected Israeli cyberattack, amid ongoing tensions between the two nations.