All facilities at Haifa oil refinery shut down after deadly Iran missile strike overnight

The Bazan Group says that as a result of the Iranian strike on its oil refinery in the Haifa Bay, all its facilities have been shut down.

Three people were killed in an Iranian missile strike on the refinery overnight.

In a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Bazan says that “as a result of damage to the facilities, the power plant was significantly damaged, and therefore all of the refinery’s and subsidiary companies’ facilities were shut down.”

Bazan says it is working with the Israel Electric Company to resume electric supply to the facility.

The facility, home to a distinctive cooling tower that looms over the densely populated Haifa Bay, has for years been threatened with attack by Israel’s adversaries, including Iranian proxy Hezbollah. It has never been known to have suffered a direct hit in the past.

Residents, environmental activists and others have long lobbied for the Bazan facility to be shuttered and moved elsewhere, due to both the heavy pollution it causes to the area and fears of disastrous consequences should it be struck.

In 2022, the government voted to relocate the facility by 2030. Work on the removal of an array of large oil tanks adjacent to the site was set to begin this year.