Iran petrochemical complex shut down after Israeli strike - report
Airstrikes targeted utility plants supplying over 50 petrochemical facilities, delivering a major blow to Iran's economy, according to a New York Times report
Israel attacked Iran’s largest petrochemical industrial complex in Mahshahr on Saturday, effectively shutting down all production across the site, a New York Times report quoted two senior Iranian oil ministry officials as saying late Saturday night, following the IDF's confirmation of the strike. The airstrikes targeted two utility plants, Fajr 1 and Fajr 2, which provided gas, power, and industrial water to the more than 50 plants operating inside the complex.
Hamed Shams, head of marketing and communications for Iran’s petrochemical industries, said on social media that the attacks struck vital infrastructure that supplies electricity not only to the petrochemical plants but also, in summer, “plays a key role in providing electricity to 500,000” residents of Khuzestan Province.
The Israeli military said it had targeted facilities “responsible for the production of chemical materials used for weapons,” describing the sites as “central to producing materials for explosives, ballistic missiles, and additional weaponry.” Israeli and US strikes on Iranian infrastructure have also hit steel plants, research centers, airports, and seaports in recent days.
Iranian officials described the Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex as one of Iran’s main industrial hubs, producing 72 million tons of petrochemical products annually. Located near Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini, a major industrial port, the complex employs much of the area’s estimated 300,000 residents. Its plants produce basic chemicals, polymers, and other materials used in plastics, textiles, fertilizers, and medical equipment.
https://x.com/i/web/status/2040486267679318085
This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking .
The two oil ministry officials said the shutdown is a severe blow to Iran’s fragile economy and that rebuilding the utility plants and restoring production could take about two years. Hamid Hosseini, an oil and energy expert, said downstream industries, including food production, automotive, and textiles, would face a crisis once the war ends. He added, “These are civilian industries that had nothing to do with military use and should not have been attacked. This is people’s livelihoods.”
Israel has stated that many of the industries it targets are “dual use,” with both civilian and military applications or links to government and armed forces. Experts note that even for dual-use facilities, there is an obligation under international law to weigh proportionality and limit civilian harm.