Israel Strikes Iran's South Pars Petrochemical Complex Amid Rising Tensions

Israel struck the South Pars petrochemical complex in Asaluyeh for the second time, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declaring on Monday that the attack hit a facility responsible for approximately 50% of Iran's petrochemical production. Multiple explosions were reported at the site by Iranian state media agencies Fars and Irna. Katz described the strike as a "powerful attack" that left the facilities inoperable, calling it a severe economic blow to Tehran worth tens of billions of dollars. Iranian authorities, citing the National Petrochemical Company of Iran, said the situation was under control and that no casualties were recorded at the South Pars site. A second petrochemical complex in Marvdasht, near Shiraz in southern Iran, was also struck the same day, with local authorities reporting only minor damage and fires brought under control. The Revolutionary Guards confirmed separately that an Israeli strike killed their intelligence chief, General Majid Jademi, at dawn on April 6.

85% of petrochemical exports now disabled, Israel claims The April 6 strikes followed a joint Israeli-American attack on the Bandar-e Mahshahr petrochemical site in Khuzestan province on April 4, which according to France 24 caused five deaths. Katz stated that the two targeted complexes together account for 85% of Iranian petrochemical exports and are now out of service. Iranian agency Fars reported that the strikes specifically hit the Mobin and Damavand companies, which supply electricity, water, and oxygen to the petrochemical plants in the Asaluyeh region, cutting power to all units there. The Pars petrochemical company itself said it had not been directly damaged, though energy supply to all Asaluyeh units would remain interrupted until infrastructure repairs were completed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the campaign in financial terms.

„Today we destroyed the largest petrochemical plant in Iran. In other words, we are systematically destroying the money machine of the Revolutionary Guards.” — Benjamin Netanyahu via France 24

85 (%) — share of Iranian petrochemical exports now out of service, per Israel

Trump sets midnight Wednesday deadline to reopen Hormuz The strikes came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new ultimatum, setting a deadline of 00:00 GMT on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump threatened to attack Iranian civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, if the deadline was not met, writing on his Truth Social platform: „Open the fucking strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll live in hell.” — Donald Trump via France 24 Iran's Revolutionary Guards responded that conditions in the Strait of Hormuz "will never return to their previous status, especially for the United States and Israel." Iran also promised "more devastating" reprisals if Trump carried out his threats against civilian infrastructure. The closure of the strait since the war began has sent oil prices soaring and disrupted global energy markets, with Iran's blockade also driving up natural gas and fertilizer prices worldwide. Trump had previously delayed the ultimatum twice before setting the current Wednesday deadline, according to RFI.

The current conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran began on February 28, 2026, when a joint U.S.-Israeli attack struck Iran. Following that initial assault, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for about one-fifth of the world's oil. Israel had previously targeted the South Pars complex in a strike on March 18, 2026, which prompted Iran to retaliate by attacking energy infrastructure in other Middle Eastern countries. After that March strike, Trump had stated that Israel would not attack South Pars again, while warning that any Iranian attacks on Qatari energy infrastructure would trigger a U.S. response against the entirety of the South Pars field.

Experts warn strikes harm Iranian civilians, not the regime The South Pars complex is not only an export revenue source but also the backbone of Iran's domestic energy supply, providing approximately 70% of the country's total gas production, according to Notícias ao Minuto. Iran relies heavily on gas to heat homes and generate electricity, and the country already suffered power shortages before the latest strikes. Bernard Hourcade, director of research emeritus at the CNRS and a specialist on Iran, pushed back against Israeli framing of the strikes as targeting regime finances. „This strike absolutely does not hit the regime or the regime's resources, but on the contrary, it hits the gas supply of Iranians.” — Bernard Hourcade via RFI Iran's petrochemical industry exports basic chemical building blocks including ethylene, propylene, methanol, ammonia, and urea to major importers such as Turkey, China, India, and Southeast Asian countries. The broader conflict has caused thousands of deaths since February 28, shaken the global economy, and shown no signs of de-escalation, according to France 24. In Israel, rescue teams recovered the bodies of four people who had gone missing after an Iranian missile struck a residential building in Haifa on Sunday.