A massive wave of US-Israeli airstrikes has forced the closure of Iran's two largest steel manufacturing facilities, dealing a devastating blow to the nation's already heavily sanctioned economy.
According to the companies managing the sites, the bombardment has completely halted operations. At the Khuzestan Steel Company in south-western Iran, officials warn of a long road to recovery.
"Our initial estimate is that restarting these units will take at least six months and up to one year," stated Mehran Pakbin, the facility's deputy head of operations.
In central Iran, the Mobarakeh Steel Company reported a similar scale of devastation, confirming a total production shutdown following what it described as a "high volume of attacks."
Iran currently stands as the world's 10th largest steel producer. The metal is a crucial cornerstone for the nation's domestic construction and manufacturing sectors, as well as a key international export. Israeli security sources estimate the strikes will inflict billions of dollars in economic damage, justifying the offensive by alleging the targeted steel plants are financially tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the widespread destruction, noting that the coordinated US-Israeli campaign also hit a power plant, civilian nuclear sites, and other critical infrastructure.
The attacks have triggered a fierce regional retaliation. The IRGC has reportedly fired upon US-linked aluminum and steel facilities in neighboring Gulf states, along with an Amazon cloud computing center in Bahrain. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates military reported intercepting a barrage of 19 missiles and 26 drones launched from Iranian territory, as Israel also tracked new incoming missile fire.
The conflict's scope appears to be rapidly expanding. US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently declared their intent to bomb Iran "back to the stone ages." The rhetoric has sparked deep concern among Iranians that public infrastructure and civilian centers are increasingly in the coalition's crosshairs.
Recent strikes have already damaged the nation's healthcare network. Iran's health ministry reported that the Pasteur Institute, a prominent medical research center in Tehran, was bombed in late March—a move Iranian officials condemned as a blatant breach of the Geneva Conventions. Earlier this week, the Tofigh Daru Research & Engineering Company, a major pharmaceutical firm producing cancer and anesthetic drugs, was also targeted. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed responsibility for the pharma strike, alleging the facility was developing chemical weapons using substances such as fentanyl.
Civilian transit has also suffered direct hits. On Thursday, a vital highway bridge connecting Tehran to the city of Karaj was obliterated, killing two people. While the IDF denied knowledge of the strike, President Trump explicitly celebrated the destruction on his Truth Social platform.
"The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again," Trump posted, adding that it was time for Iran to make a deal before there was "NOTHING LEFT" of the country.
Verifying the full extent of the destruction remains incredibly challenging. According to the global monitor NetBlocks, Iran has been plunged into a near-total digital blackout for 34 days, with national internet connectivity hovering at a mere 1% of its normal capacity.