Israel said it struck a major petrochemical facility in southwestern Iran on Monday, marking the first reported attack on an Iranian energy site since an April ceasefire and raising fresh concerns about the future of US-led efforts to end the conflict.
The Israeli military said it targeted facilities at the Mahshahr petrochemical complex, alongside other military sites across Iran. Iranian authorities confirmed parts of the plant had been damaged, although no casualties were reported.
The strike came despite reports that US President Donald Trump had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from further attacks as Washington seeks to secure a broader peace agreement with Tehran.
“It’s not going to have any impact on the deal,” Trump told the Financial Times. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots.”
Hours after Trump’s remarks, Israel launched fresh attacks, while Iran responded with missile fire aimed at Israeli targets. Israeli officials said their air defence systems intercepted incoming missiles.
The latest escalation also drew a response from Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which claimed responsibility for the first missile attack on Israel since the April ceasefire and threatened to target Israeli maritime activity in the Red Sea.
“We consider all enemy movements to be legitimate military targets for our armed forces,” the Houthis said in a statement.
The renewed fighting pushed oil prices higher, with Brent crude rising more than 3% to trade above $96 a barrel amid fears that further instability could disrupt global energy supplies.
Israeli officials said the attacks were aimed at Iranian missile infrastructure and military facilities. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards accused Israel of using air-launched ballistic missiles in the operation.
The Mahshahr strike represents a significant escalation because it targeted energy infrastructure rather than purely military assets. Iranian state media reported that five production lines at the complex have been hit since the conflict began in February.
According to Axios, Trump told Netanyahu during a telephone conversation on Sunday to hold off on further military action because negotiators were “close to doing something good in terms of a deal”.
The White House and Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment on the reported exchange.
The conflict has continued to complicate diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. While both sides have repeatedly suggested they are nearing an agreement to end hostilities, fresh attacks have repeatedly threatened to derail negotiations.
Trump has maintained that a deal remains achievable but has also warned of severe consequences if diplomacy fails.
“We’re very close to a deal, or I’m going to blow the hell out of them,” he told NBC News in an interview aired on Sunday.
Iran has insisted that any long-term agreement must include sanctions relief, access to frozen assets and guarantees regarding regional security arrangements.
Erizia Rubyjeana
