Iran missile strike hits Haifa oil refinery, Israel reports ‘no significant damage’

Israel said an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa was struck during an Iranian missile attack, but officials emphasised that the impact caused no major or lasting damage to critical infrastructure. In a statement on Thursday (March 19), Energy Minister Eli Cohen said the strike affected the Oil Refineries Ltd facility, briefly disrupting electricity supply in parts of the north. Power was restored quickly, with most customers regaining service within a short period.

“The damage to the power grid in the north is localised and not significant,” Cohen said. “Also, in the barrage towards the north, there was no significant damage to Israeli infrastructure sites.”

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According to Israel Electric Corp, a power line in the Haifa area was hit by shrapnel from an intercepted missile, triggering a temporary outage that lasted around 45 minutes before being fully resolved. The latest strike comes amid a broader escalation in regional hostilities. Iran has launched a wave of missile and drone attacks across the Middle East in recent weeks, following coordinated strikes by Israel and the United States targeting its energy infrastructure.

Tehran has framed its actions as retaliation. Earlier this week, Iranian forces targeted several oil and gas facilities in the Gulf region after an Israeli strike hit the South Pars offshore gas field, one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves. In Haifa, authorities said debris from an intercepted missile fell within the city and is being examined as part of a hazardous materials response, raising concerns about potential environmental risks even when direct damage is limited. The Haifa oil refinery has been targeted before.

A similar Iranian strike last June killed three people and forced a temporary shutdown of operations, highlighting the vulnerability of key energy infrastructure amid ongoing tensions. While Israeli officials maintain that the latest damage was minimal, the continued exchange of strikes underscores the risk of further escalation across the region, particularly as energy facilities remain a central target in the conflict.

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