WANA (Apr 24) – Throughout the 40-day conflict waged by the Israeli regime and the United States against Iran, Israel was forced to shut down its major Leviathan and Karish gas platforms due to the imminent threat of Iranian strikes. This strategic withdrawal from the energy market has reportedly inflicted billions of dollars in losses on the Israeli economy.

 

Israeli media outlets report that the Tamar platform, operated by the American firm Chevron, was the only offshore facility to remain active during the war.

 

It effectively became the central pillar of the energy sector and the sole supplier of natural gas, barely managing to prevent a total national blackout.

 

The vulnerability of these assets was highlighted by direct Iranian strikes on the Bazan refinery complex in Haifa. Simultaneously, a barrage of drones and missiles targeted various gas platforms within the regime’s economic waters.

 

This forced Israeli military and security institutions into a precarious dilemma: weigh the catastrophic risks of an explosion at an active site against the immediate economic devastation of a total energy shutdown. Ultimately, the decision was made to prioritize safety by suspending operations at both Leviathan and Karish.