Government Reveals Full Extent of Iranian Missile Damage to Haifa's Bazan Refinery Complex

A newly published government document has disclosed the true scale of damage caused by Iranian missile strikes on the Bazan oil refinery complex in Haifa. The strikes occurred during two operations: "With the Lion" in June last year and "Roar of the Lion" in March this year. The document, released as part of the approval process for reconstruction work, reveals previously unreported damage to multiple buildings and facilities within the complex.

According to the draft planning and construction order, the damage affects the refinery's storage capacity, which in turn impacts gasoline production and supply. This contradicts earlier statements by Energy Minister Eli Cohen, who had claimed the March attack did not harm production facilities or fuel supply. The full rehabilitation of the Bazan complex is not expected to be completed before 2028, three years ahead of the planned site evacuation in 2031 as per government decisions.

The June 2025 attack during "With the Lion" was more severe, resulting in the deaths of three Bazan employees and significant damage to the power station, which halted all refining operations. Bazan estimated the damage at $150-200 million at the time. The March strikes in "Roar of the Lion" caused two impacts: one from interceptor missile debris and another from a direct hit on a storage tank roof. While Bazan initially reported the March damage as non-critical with all production facilities operational, the new government document details additional harm to steam boilers, electrical rooms, and auxiliary systems.

The damaged storage tank from the March attack is irreparable and requires a completely new replacement tank with a capacity of up to 12,700 cubic meters. The area approved for reconstruction is nearly double the size authorized after the June 2025 attack. The document emphasizes that the compromised storage capacity directly affects the refinery's ability to produce standard gasoline and supply it to consumers.