Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Israeli forces had struck Iran’s largest petrochemical complex in the Asaluyeh area of the South Pars region, dealing what he described as a significant blow to Tehran’s industrial capacity.
According to Katz, the facility hit in the strike is responsible for about half of Iran’s petrochemical output, and, combined with a recent attack on another major site in the country, the two now account for roughly 85 percent of petrochemical exports and are no longer operational.
Israeli strikes on a similar complex at the Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Zone in southwestern Khuzestan province on Saturday reportedly killed five people, Iranian officials said, part of a series of attacks that have targeted Iran’s energy and industrial infrastructure.
Iranian state media reported explosions at the South Pars facilities in Asaluyeh, and the complex’s operator said it was assessing the damage following the Monday attack.
READ ALSO: Israel Strikes Iran Missile Sites As Conflict Intensifies in Tehran
The South Pars region hosts the world’s largest natural gas reserve, shared with Qatar, and plays a central role in Iran’s energy and petrochemical sectors.
This latest strike comes amid broader conflict and follows Israeli attacks earlier this year on gas facilities connected to the South Pars field, which triggered retaliatory actions by Iran against energy infrastructure in neighbouring Gulf states.
Katz said the operations were intended to target critical elements of Iran’s industrial economy, part of continued military pressure on Tehran’s strategic assets, although diplomatic efforts and discussions around ceasefire possibilities persist.