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

A newly published government document has disclosed the comprehensive damage caused by Iranian missile attacks on the Bazan oil refinery complex in Haifa. The attacks 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 refinery.

According to the draft planning and construction order, the damage affects the refinery's storage capacity, which in turn impacts the production and supply of gasoline. 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 site 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 had estimated the damage then at $150-200 million. In the March "Roar of the Lion" operation, the refinery was hit twice, once by interceptor missile debris and once by a direct missile strike on a storage tank roof. While Bazan initially reported the March damage as non-critical, the new government document details additional harm to steam boilers, electrical rooms, and auxiliary systems.

The damaged storage tank from the March strike is irreparable and requires complete replacement with a new tank of up to 12,700 cubic meters. The approved reconstruction area is nearly double that 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.