Iran’s five worst tragedies in the past decade

Hundreds are believed to have been killed or injured in an explosion in Bandar Abbas on Saturday

A thick plume of smoke billows as motorists drive their vehicles along a highway near the source of an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port. AFP

Hundreds of people are feared to have been killed or injured by an explosion in a port city in southern Iran on Saturday.

The incident at Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas happened when several containers blew up for reasons that are unclear.

Over the past decade, Iran has been shaken by a series of deadly disasters, attacks, and industrial accidents.

Here are five events that left hundreds of civilians dead or injured and reshaped Iran's approach to security:

Kermanshah earthquake

In one of the deadliest earthquakes in Iran's modern history, a magnitude 7.3 shock struck close to the Iran-Iraq border in November 2017, killing at least 402 people and injuring thousands.

Entire villages in Kermanshah province were flattened. Authorities declared three days of national mourning. The disaster revealed the country's vulnerability to seismic risks despite improved building codes after past earthquakes.

“It was as if the earth itself had attacked us,” a survivor in Sarpol-e Zahab told Iranian state TV.

Kerman twin suicide bombings

A pair of suicide bombers targeted a memorial ceremony for Gen Qassem Suleimani in Kerman in January last year, killing at least 84 and injuring 284 more

ISIS claimed responsibility. It was Iran’s deadliest terrorist attack in years.

“We never expected such horror at a place of mourning,” an official said, according to state media.

Nationwide floods

In 2019, unusually heavy rainfall across March and April led to heavy flooding in 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces.

Official figures stated at least 76 deaths, but the humanitarian impact was far wider, with thousands displaced and entire towns cut off.

Emergency services were overwhelmed, and the damage was estimated at several billion dollars.

“Iran faced one of its most serious natural disasters in decades,” the interior minister said at the time.

Ahvaz military parade attack

Gunmen disguised as soldiers opened fire during a military parade in Ahvaz in September 2018, killing 25 people, including women and children.

The attack targeted civilians and military personnel alike. Iranian officials blamed Arab separatists, while ISIS also claimed the attack.

The event deeply shocked Iran, particularly given the symbolic significance of the parade commemorating the Iran-Iraq War.

“This was not just an attack on soldiers, it was an attack on the Iranian people,” a senior commander told state media.

Bandar Abbas port explosion

A major explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, injuring hundreds of people. Many others are feared dead.

The blast, believed to have originated in hazardous goods stored at the port, raised concerns about industrial safety standards in one of Iran’s economic hubs.

The blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometres, Iranian media said, with footage shared online showing a large cloud of smoke rising into the air following the explosion.

“We must investigate fully to ensure such an incident never happens again,” an Iranian maritime official stated, according to state media.