A massive explosion tore through Iran's largest commercial port on Saturday, triggering a major blaze, with 14 people killed and 750 injured so far.

The blast occurred at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of world oil output passes.

Although the cause of the blast was not immediately clear, the port's customs office said in a statement carried by state TV that it probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazardous and chemical materials storage depot.

The New York Times reported that a person with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters, told the newspaper that what exploded was sodium perchlorate, a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles.

Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said on Telegram early Sunday that there were "14 dead and 750 injured so far in the explosion".

With choking smoke spreading throughout the area, all schools and offices 23 kilometres (14 miles) away in Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan........

© Al Monitor