This study examined the effect of five job satisfaction dimensions of operational staff on the performance of Chabahar Port, given the strategic role of ports in national trade and economic development. The research is descriptive–analytical and cross-sectional. Data were collected in 2025 (1404 AH) using a researcher-made questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale. From the operational staff of Chabahar Port, 130 individuals were selected through stratified random sampling. Face and content validity yielded CVR values above 0.99 and CVI values above 0.79. Convergent validity was confirmed with AVE values above 0.5, and discriminant validity was verified using the Fornell–Larcker matrix. Reliability was examined using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability, with values exceeding 0.7 for all constructs. The results revealed a positive and significant relationship between all five dimensions of job satisfaction and port performance. Path coefficients for pay and benefits, relationships with colleagues and management, working conditions, nature of work, and growth opportunities were 0.644, 0.571, 0.509, 0.411, and 0.358, respectively. These dimensions explained 72.1% of the variance in port performance. The findings indicate that job satisfaction dimensions are associated with port performance. Accordingly, managerial planning for operational staff must simultaneously address compensation, organizational relationships, working conditions, job nature, and growth opportunities. Given the cross-sectional design and questionnaire-based data, the results indicate a statistical association and should not be interpreted as evidence of causality.