Ammon News - At least 281 people were injured after a large explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, state media reported.

The blast occurred 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. We are currently evacuating and transferring the injured to medical centres," a local crisis management official told state TV.

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.

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.

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. Reuters