IRGC strikes Haifa and Ashdod oil refineries — first Iranian attack on Israeli energy infrastructure

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Thursday it had targeted oil refineries in Haifa — Israel's third-largest city and main northern port — and in Ashdod in the country's south, 'along with a range of security targets and military support centres of the Zionist regime', which it said 'were hit by pinpoint missiles.' Israel's energy ministry confirmed an Iranian missile attack struck the Oil Refineries complex in Haifa but said it did not cause 'significant damage.' Energy Minister Eli Cohen said power was briefly disrupted, with electricity restored to most affected, and that 'the damage to the power grid in the north is localized and not significant.' He added: 'In the barrage towards the north, there was no significant damage to Israeli infrastructure sites.' There was no immediate word on whether the Ashdod refinery in southern Israel was actually hit. The IRGC strikes on Israeli oil refineries represent the direct escalation of the tit-for-tat energy infrastructure war to Israeli soil — mirroring Iran's campaign against Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait. The Haifa refinery (Bazan Group) is Israel's largest oil refinery, processing approximately 9.8 million tonnes of crude per year. Ashdod refinery is Israel's second.