Tel Aviv [Israel], April 5 (ANI): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that his military forces targeted Iranian petrochemical refineries, identifying the sector as a primary financial lifeline for Tehran's administration.

In a video statement shared via his official X handle, the Prime Minister disclosed that the recent strikes on the petrochemical infrastructure followed a series of successful operations against the Islamic Republic's metallurgical industry. During the address, he maintained that Israel has 'destroyed 70 per cent of [Iran's] ability to create steel'.

https://x.com/netanyahu/status/2040477922239172911?s=20

Linking the strategic degradation of Iran's industrial base to ongoing military objectives, Netanyahu suggested that these precision strikes are part of a broader, systematic campaign to cripple the economic resources available to the Iranian leadership. Reiterating his administration's resolve to maintain military pressure on Tehran, the Prime Minister issued a stern warning regarding future operations, concluding the message by stating, 'We will continue to hit them, as I promised'.

This resolve was evidenced on Saturday as Israeli fighter jets launched a series of precision strikes targeting industrial hubs in southwest Iran, according to local media reports. As first indicated by The Times of Israel, the operation marks a significant shift in Israeli military strategy toward crippling Tehran's financial infrastructure.

Israeli security officials have since verified that the mission was executed by the Israeli Air Force, focusing on high-value industrial assets. The Fars news agency detailed that the bombardment hit various installations located within the Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Zone, situated in the Khuzestan Province.

Providing further details on the ground situation, Valiollah Hayati, the deputy governor of Khuzestan province, informed Fars that the aerial assault impacted three separate firms within the zone. This escalation follows reports by The Times of Israel suggesting that the military had been authorised to intensify pressure on the Iranian government through targeted economic warfare.

While the physical destruction appears significant, the full scale of the impact on production remains to be determined. The Tasnim news agency quoted Hayati as stating that 'the extent of the damage remains unknown' at this stage.

The deputy governor confirmed that the strikes resulted in at least five individuals sustaining injuries, though he noted that it is not yet certain if there have been any fatalities. The choice of targets aligns with earlier disclosures by The Times of Israel, which noted that the country's political echelon had directed the IDF to focus on 'economic targets' to inflict maximum fiscal strain on the regime.

The strategic pivot to industrial sabotage follows weeks of heightened tensions. According to The Times of Israel, the directive to pivot away from purely military sites was specifically 'aimed at causing massive financial damage to the regime' by disrupting its most lucrative export sectors. (ANI)