Israel Strikes Iran’s Largest Petrochemical Facility

Israel launched a military strike on April 6, 2026, targeting the South Pars petrochemical plant in Asaluyeh, southern Iran. Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, described the operation as a powerful strike on the country’s largest petrochemical facility, characterizing the action as a severe economic blow to Tehran.

The targeted complex in Asaluyeh is a central hub for Iran’s industrial output, responsible for approximately 50 per cent of the nation’s petrochemical production. The facility is located within the South Pars natural gas field, which is the largest in the world and is shared between Iran and Qatar under the Persian Gulf.

Impact and Casualties

According to Iranian officials, the petrochemical complex was taken offline after strikes hit two utility plants that provided essential services, including power and gas. The Associated Press reported that the airstrikes killed 25 people, including the head of intelligence for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

The escalation has extended beyond the petrochemical targets. On April 6, 2026, an airstrike hit an information and communication technology building at Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology. A professor at the institution stated that all students had left the campus due to the ongoing war.

Regional Escalation and Iranian Response

The attack on the Asaluyeh facility occurred amid a broader regional conflict that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026. This conflict has seen the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the initial salvo five weeks prior to the current events.

Iran responded to the Israeli operations with missile attacks targeting multiple cities in Israel. On April 6, 2026, emergency workers responded to damage sites in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Petah Tikva. In Haifa, rescue workers and military personnel were documented recovering a body from the rubble of a residential building struck by an Iranian missile.

Further instability has been reported in other regions. In Tyre, Lebanon, damage from Israeli strikes has been observed amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, occurring parallel to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

International and Diplomatic Context

The strikes took place as mediators floated a ceasefire proposal. The conflict has previously impacted regional energy security; an Israeli attack in March on South Pars facilities had triggered Iranian attacks on oil and gas infrastructure across several Gulf Arab states.

While Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency and the judiciary’s Mizan news agency blamed both the U.S. And Israel for the attack on the petrochemical plant, the United States did not immediately comment. U.S. President Donald Trump was scheduled to speak with journalists at the White House on the afternoon of April 6, 2026, marking his first public appearance since the previous Wednesday.

In Tehran, the military campaign has sparked public unrest. On April 6, 2026, government-sponsored protests involving medical workers were held outside Imam Khomeini Hospital to oppose the U.S.-Israeli military campaign.