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

With choking smoke spreading throughout the area, all schools and offices 23 kilometres (14 miles) away in Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province, have been ordered closed on Sunday, state TV said, to allow authorities to focus on the emergency effort.

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

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 intensity of the fire in Shahid Rajaee Port has........

© Al Monitor