Iranian Missile Strikes Haifa Oil Refinery, Israel Claims Minimal Damage

Israel’s air defence system was breached again by an Iranian missile strike that hit an oil refinery facility in the northern port city of Haifa. Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen confirmed on Thursday (19/3) that the facility owned by Oil Refineries Ltd was the target of the attack. Although it temporarily caused disruptions to electricity supply in the northern region, Cohen emphasised that the damage impact was not massive. “The damage to the electricity network in the north is local and insignificant. In the series of attacks towards the north, there was no significant damage to Israeli infrastructure sites,” Cohen stated in his official remarks. Iranian missile and drone attacks have intensified rapidly since Israel and the United States launched military operations against the country at the end of last month. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a stern warning that Tehran would no longer restrain itself. He affirmed a “zero tolerance” policy if their vital assets are disturbed again. “Iran will show ‘zero self-control’ if our infrastructure is attacked again,” Araghchi stressed, responding to international condemnation over the escalation in South Pars. To date, the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and disruptions to LNG production in the Gulf region continue to shadow global economic stability. (Al-Jazeera/B-3)