Israel struck a major petrochemical facility in southern Iran on Monday—a day before Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping.
According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, the target was the country’s largest petrochemical installation, located at the South Pars field, which Iran develops jointly with Qatar. The field, in the Persian Gulf, is widely regarded as the largest in the world.
Iranian state media reported that there were no casualties or significant damage.
The strikes hit the coastal city of Asaluyeh and marked the second attack on the facility. In mid-March, Israel also struck the area, after which Iran responded with an attack on Qatar’s gas infrastructure.
At the time, Trump said he had not been informed in advance of the operation and stressed that Israel would not carry out further strikes on Iranian gas facilities.
Over the weekend, however, the president sharply criticized Iran for blocking the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to strike the country’s infrastructure.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day in Iran—all at once. You have never seen anything like it!!! Open the damn strait, you crazy bastards, or you will live in hell—WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President Donald J. Trump,” he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
Trump also threatened to unleash “all hell” on Iran as Washington moved closer to the deadline set by the president himself.