Israel attacked Iran’s largest petrochemical plant

“The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has just fiercely attacked Iran’s largest petrochemical facility in Asaluyeh, where 50% of the country’s petrochemical output is produced,” Israel Katz, Minister of Defense of Israel, said on April 6.

According to Mr. Katz, last week Israel also attacked Iran’s second largest petrochemical facility. Israel’s raids on the two facilities disabled 85% of Iran’s export capacity in this field, he said.

“This is a heavy economic blow, equivalent to tens of billions of dollars, to the Iranian government,” Mr. Katz said, adding that the IDF received orders to “continue to attack with full force on the opponent’s national infrastructure.”

Israel’s Defense Minister accused Iran’s petrochemical industry of being “the main engine in providing financial resources” for the activities of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the country’s army.

Iranian news agency Fars News previously said that several loud explosions rang out at the South Pars Petrochemical complex in Asaluyeh, a southwestern port city of the country. This is where gas output from the South Pars field on the Persian Gulf is processed.

News agency Tasnim of Iran reported that companies supplying electricity, water and oxygen to Asaluyeh were attacked, while the South Pars petrochemical company was not damaged. This news agency also said that the power supply to all petrochemical facilities in Asaluyeh was cut off.

South Pars is part of the world’s largest gas field off the Persian Gulf that Iran shares with Qatar. The mine has an area of ​​about 9,700 km2, estimated reserves of up to 51 trillion m3, the largest in the world, located on both sides of the maritime demarcation line between Iran and Qatar in the Persian Gulf. The remaining part on the Qatar side is called North Dome, which is twice the size of South Pars.

Iranian officials said South Pars has a 2025 production output of 730 million cubic meters of gas per day. Most of the natural gas extracted from South Pars is used to serve Iran, meeting up to 80% of domestic demand, mainly for heating and electricity production.