At least 281 injured after explosion at Iranian port
The blast occurred on Saturday as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, although the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.
"The source of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area," a local crisis management official told state TV.
"We are currently evacuating and transferring the injured to medical centres."
Huge explosion in Bandar Abbas, southwest Iran, reasons unknown. Glass shattered within the radius of several kilometers. pic.twitter.com/QSv1V9GDPX
— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) April 26, 2025
Citing the spokesperson for first responders, state TV reported that at least 281 people had been injured.
It was not yet clear whether there were any fatalities.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency posted footage of injured men lying on the road being tended to amid scenes of confusion.
Efforts were ongoing to extinguish a significant fire, with the port's customs saying that trucks were being evacuated from the area and that the container yard where the explosion occurred likely contained "dangerous goods and chemicals".
State TV said: "negligence in handling flammable materials was a contributing factor" in the explosion.
Oil facilities were not affected by the blast as the National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company said.
"The explosion and fire in Shahid Rajaee Port have no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes and oil pipelines related to this company," the statement said.
The large blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometres, Iranian media said, with footage shared online showing a mushroom cloud forming following the explosion.
Fars news said the blast was heard in Qeshm, an island 26 kilometres south of Bandar Abbas.
In 2020, computers at the same port were hit by a cyberattack that caused massive backups on waterways and roads leading to the facility.
The Washington Post had reported that Iran's arch-foe Israel appeared to be behind that incident as retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyberattack.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli military or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office when asked for comment on whether Israel was in any way involved in the explosion.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israel sees huge protests over Gaza war, Hamas hostages
Nationwide protests erupted throughout Israel on Sunday as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators called for the safe return of hostages still held in Gaza after nearly two years of war. The demonstrations amounted to one of the largest the country has seen since the start of the war in October 2023. They come amid growing frustration in Israel over the government's plans to expand military operations in some of Gaza's most crowded areas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he opposes any deal that leaves Hamas in power. But many Israelis fear a new military offensive in Gaza could endanger the 50 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed still to be alive. The protests on Sunday were organized by groups representing families of hostages. Demonstrations took place at dozens of locations throughout Israel, including at politicians' homes, at military headquarters and on major highways, where protesters blocked several lanes and lit bonfires. 'The only way to bring (hostages) back is through a deal, all at once, without games,' former hostage Arbel Yehoud, whose boyfriend Ariel Cunio is still held by Hamas, said at a protest in Tel Aviv. The day of action culminated in a rally in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said more than 400,000 people gathered in the rally, according to multiple reports. Israeli police said they arrested 38 people on Sunday. The Associated Press contributed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Wall Street Journal
4 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Time to Shut Down the Failed U.N. Lebanon Mission
President Trump will soon have a chance to assert U.S. leadership, save taxpayer money and promote peace in the Middle East. On Aug. 31, the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote on whether to renew the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. In 2025 Unifil was given the task of disarming Hezbollah and instead enabled the Shiite militia. The annual vote is typically a rubber stamp, because inertia rules the U.N. The mission was created in 1978 to monitor an Israeli withdrawal in a long-forgotten skirmish with the Palestine Liberation Organization. The PLO is no longer in Lebanon, but Unifil still is. It didn't keep the peace in 2006, when Hezbollah started a war by taking an Israeli hostage, or in October 2023 when Hezbollah joined in Hamas's attack on Israel.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israelis stage nationwide protests to demand end to Gaza war and release of hostages
By Lili Bayer TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Thousands of Israelis took part in a nationwide strike on Sunday in support of families of hostages held in Gaza, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and release the remaining captives. Demonstrators waved Israeli flags and carried photos of hostages as whistles, horns, and drums echoed at rallies across the country, while some protesters blocked streets and highways, including the main route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. 'Today, everything stops to remember the highest value: the sanctity of life,' Anat Angrest, the mother of hostage Matan Angrest, told reporters at a public square in Tel Aviv. Among those who met with families of hostages in Tel Aviv was Israeli Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman and starring in the Fast & the Furious franchise. Ahead of Sunday, some businesses and institutions said they would allow staff to join the nationwide strike, which was called by the hostages' families. While some businesses closed, many also remained open across the country on what is a working day in Israel. Schools are on summer recess and were not affected. A major rally is scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv in the evening. Israeli police said that 38 demonstrators had been detained by 2 p.m. (11 a.m. GMT) Some protesters blocking roads scuffled with police, and were carried away by officers. Demonstrations across the country were briefly halted around 4 p.m. local time when air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere, warning of an incoming missile fired from Yemen. The missile was intercepted without incident. MILITARY CAMPAIGN On Sunday, Netanyahu told the cabinet: "Those who call today for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages. They are also ensuring that the horrors of October 7 will repeat themselves over and over again." The prime minister, who leads the country's most right-wing government in history, said his government was determined to implement a decision for the military to seize Gaza City, one of the last major areas of the enclave it does not already control. That decision is widely unpopular among Israelis and many of the hostages' families, who fear an expanded military campaign in Gaza could risk the lives of their loved ones still held captive. There are 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza, of which Israeli officials believe around 20 are still alive. "There is no time – not for the lives wasting away in hell, nor for the fallen who may vanish in the ruins of Gaza," said the Hostages Families Forum, which represents many families of captives held in Gaza, on Sunday. After nearly two years of war in Gaza, ignited by the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, most of the hostages who have been freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic talks. Negotiations towards a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it would only free the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war, while Netanyahu has vowed that Hamas cannot stay in power. The Israeli government has faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, including from some of its closest European allies, over the announcement that the military would soon seize Gaza City. On Sunday, Hamas called the plan criminal, saying it would force the displacement of hundreds of thousands from Gaza City. More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to local health officials there. They said on Sunday at least 29 had been killed in the past day. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza during Hamas' attack on Israel. Over 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who attended a rally in Tel Aviv, expressed support for the protesters. "The only thing that strengthens the country is the wonderful spirit of the people who are going out from home today for Israeli solidarity," he wrote on X.
