In brief
Due to recent air strikes carried out by US-Israeli forces, Iran's two major steel production facilities have announced lengthy shutdowns. Experts estimate it could take up to a year to resume operations, which may have dire implications for Iran's economy and its supply chains already strained by sanctions.
Iran's two largest steel plants have been shut down due to multiple rounds of US-Israeli air strikes, the companies operating them have reported. Mehran Pakbin, deputy head of operations at the Khuzestan Steel Company, stated that restarting these units could take at least six months and potentially up to one year. The Mobarakeh Steel Company indicated that its production lines had completely ceased due to the high volume of attacks.These strikes, coordinated by Israel and the US, were initiated last Friday and are expected to cause major damage to Iran's already struggling economy. Iran ranks as the 10th largest global producer of steel and is heavily reliant on its production for domestic use and exports.The assaults have raised concerns over supply chain disruptions within the country, which has been grappling with extensive Western sanctions. Iran's foreign minister confirmed that the strikes targeted key infrastructures including steel factories and nuclear sites. The Israeli military highlighted that these steel plants have connections to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), prompting retaliation from the IRGC against US-linked facilities in neighboring Gulf states.The escalation also saw new missile attacks from Iran, worrying regional neighbors and intensifying military engagements in the area.The IDF has confirmed its operations but did not confirm strikes on specific civilian infrastructures, which have drawn international condemnation, stressing the potential violation of humanitarian norms. Furthermore, an increasing number of attacks have been directed at essential healthcare facilities, exacerbating concerns regarding public health and safety in Iran amidst these military actions.Iran has been under an effective internet blackout, making the verification of information exceedingly difficult as the situation evolves.
