HAIFA – Iran’s massive missile attack caused deaths and shut down an Israeli refinery as conflict advanced with no ceasefire in sight.
Reports in international media said operations at Israel’s Bazan oil refinery have been stopped after devastating missile strike by Iran overnight, which caused major damage tothe facility and resulted in death of several employees.
Iranian attack also severely damaged the power station that supplies steam and electricity to the refinery, forcing the shutdown of all refinery and subsidiary facilities.
Israeli power plant’s damage made it impossible to continue operations and the company is working closely with the Israel Electric Company to restore power to the site.
Haifa Bay refinery has long been a target but has never been directly hit until now. A couple of years back, Israeli government approved plan to move the facility by 2030, with preliminary work on dismantling nearby oil tanks scheduled to begin this year.
The escalating tensions saw blasts reported in Tehran and air raid sirens sounding in Tel Aviv as Iran announced preparations for what it called the largest and most intense missile attack in history on Israeli soil, following a strike on Iranian state TV.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would not escalate hostilities but instead “end the conflict.”
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