Jerusalem, June 17 (IANS): A deadly Iranian missile strike has forced the complete shutdown of Bazan, Israel’s largest oil refinery, located at Haifa Port. The pre-dawn attack on Monday resulted in the deaths of three refinery employees and ignited widespread fires at the facility, according to a report by Israeli daily Ha’aretz, cited by Xinhua news agency.
In a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Bazan confirmed that “all refinery and subsidiary facilities have been shut down” following significant damage to the power station that supports steam and electricity production across the complex. The company is currently evaluating the full extent of the damage and exploring mitigation strategies.
Video footage from the scene showed large flames erupting from the strategic industrial zone, with firefighting teams struggling to bring the blaze under control hours after the attack.
The refinery strike occurred amid escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel, now entering a fourth consecutive day of aerial warfare. According to official figures, the ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of at least 244 people in Iran and 24 in Israel.
The missile barrage on Monday morning killed at least eight people and injured dozens more across various parts of Israel. Air raid sirens sounded nationwide, and plumes of black smoke were seen rising above Haifa, a key northern coastal city. Eyewitnesses reported multiple explosions in both northern and central Israel.
Among the worst-hit areas was Petah Tikva, a city east of Tel Aviv, where a missile struck a residential building, killing four people. Mayor Rami Greenberg confirmed the deaths and said hundreds of residents from the impacted building and three nearby structures had been evacuated. Images from the site showed extensive blast damage to multi-story buildings and debris scattered across the area.
The Iranian strike follows a series of surprise Israeli airstrikes across Iran on Friday, which initially sparked the current wave of deadly exchanges between the two countries.
