Shahid Rajaee Port
Shahid Rajaee Port Complex is a commercial port complex in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, serving container and general cargo movements between Iran and international maritime routes. Its location on the southern coast makes it a practical gateway for import-export logistics, freight forwarding and distribution linked to the Bandar Abbas market.
Strategic and market-access role
Shahid Rajaee Port is one of Iran’s most important maritime trade gateways, located near Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz. It is strategically relevant for imports, exports, container traffic, industrial logistics, petrochemical flows, mining-related transport, and access between Iran’s inland industrial regions and international maritime routes. The complex provides a seaborne entry and exit point for cargo moving between Iranian markets and international shipping networks via the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
Operations, capacity & connectivity
Related use cases
Container imports and exports, industrial logistics, petrochemical trade, mining and metals transport, regional transit, port-based distribution, maritime access to southern Iran, and trade flows connected to Hormozgan and the Persian Gulf corridor.
Capacity and service area
Service area: Bandar Abbas and the wider Iranian import-export supply chain, with access to Gulf and international maritime routes.
Connected modes
Maritime shipping.
Industries served
Container logistics, freight forwarding, import-export distribution and general cargo handling.
Ownership, operation & expansion
Owner and operator
Operator: Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran (PMO), through its Hormozgan provincial administration and the Shahid Rajaee Port Special Economic Zone. Individual terminal operating arrangements require transaction-specific verification.
Expansion and development projects
Kazakhstan and Iran signed a 27-year build-operate-transfer agreement on 2026-06-28 for a Kazakh transport and logistics terminal at Shahid Rajaee Port. The agreement provides two years for construction and envisages commercial commissioning in the project’s third year; construction, financing and delivery milestones should be independently monitored.
Constraints, risk & compliance
Operational constraints
The April 2025 explosion and fire at the complex underline the importance of hazardous-cargo controls, emergency response, insurance and business-continuity diligence. Operating conditions can also be affected by maritime-security conditions around the Strait of Hormuz and by counterparties’ sanctions exposure.
Key risks and compliance considerations
Counterparty screening and sanctions compliance; hazardous-cargo and terminal-resilience controls; concentration of cargo flows through a single national gateway; and disruption risk associated with Strait of Hormuz maritime conditions. A 2011 U.S. Treasury designation identified Tidewater Middle East Co. as operating at Shahid Rajaee’s main container terminal at that time; this historical reference does not establish the current sanctions status of the port complex or every present operator.
Connected Intelligence
Relevant geography, industry, market and execution context for this profile.
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions most likely to arise when reviewing this profile.
Where is Shahid Rajaee Port Complex located?
Shahid Rajaee Port Complex is located in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, Iran.
What cargo activity does Shahid Rajaee Port Complex serve?
The complex serves container and general cargo logistics, including import-export freight and port-based distribution.
Why is Shahid Rajaee Port commercially relevant?
It connects cargo moving through southern Iran with international maritime routes in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.