Saed News: By targeting the Zionist regime’s energy facilities, Iran demonstrated that Israel’s heavy dependence on oil and gas imports is its critical Achilles' heel. If this flow is cut off, Israel’s economic and industrial infrastructure will rapidly become paralyzed.
According to Saed News, quoting Fars:
In response to the Zionist regime’s attacks on Iran’s economic facilities and sensitive infrastructure, Iran targeted key economic facilities of the Zionist regime with precise operations, including the Haifa refinery in the northern occupied territories. Iran’s strategic move to disable the Haifa refinery was not only a response to repeated aggressions but also exposed the deep vulnerabilities of the Israeli regime in the energy sector. The Haifa refinery, considered the largest oil refinery in Israel, is a subsidiary of the Bazan Group and is located in the port of Haifa.
This refinery has a refining capacity of about 197,000 barrels of crude oil per day (approximately 9.8 million tons per year). About 70% of its products are consumed in Israel’s domestic market, with the remainder exported to countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. Iran’s success in disabling this refinery indicates that other critical energy facilities and oil and gas import routes of the regime are also under threat and at risk of paralysis. Here, we analyze the energy supply and demand situation in the Zionist regime and the economic impacts of these tensions.
According to 2023 statistics, the Zionist regime is located in southwestern Asia with a population of about 9.8 million people and an area of approximately 22,100 square kilometers (1.3% of Iran’s area). This regime has about 14 million barrels of crude oil reserves (0.11% of Iran’s reserves) and 1.087 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves (ranked 45th in the world).
Despite these relatively limited reserves, the Zionist regime is highly dependent on gas and oil for its energy supply. More than 80% of its energy basket consists of natural gas (44%) and oil (38%). Since 2020, natural gas has replaced coal and oil as the primary energy source for Israel.
Energy sources in the Zionist regime
From 2013 to 2022, Israel’s gas industry underwent a major transformation. Natural gas production from the Leviathan, Tamar, and Karish fields increased more than fivefold, turning Israel from a gas importer into an exporter. In 2023, the regime’s natural gas production was about 24.2 billion cubic meters (66.3 million cubic meters per day), while its domestic consumption was 12.6 billion cubic meters (34.5 million cubic meters per day). This indicates that the regime has a gas surplus. Approximately 53% of the gas is supplied from the Leviathan field and 44% from the Tamar field. Some gas was also imported through the Arish–Ashkelon pipeline from Egypt, but currently, the regime exports a portion of its gas surplus to Egypt (70%) and Jordan (30%). The consumption of natural gas for electricity generation has been increasing and is expected to rise about 17% annually.
Investment in the gas sector
Investment in Israel’s gas sector is mainly done by the private sector. Over the past decade, about 50 billion Israeli shekels (equivalent to $11 billion) have been invested by companies like INGL. The government has invested only 0.23 billion shekels (around $70 million).
Economic impact of gas usage
The use of natural gas has had widespread positive effects on Israel’s economy:
Savings of 316 billion shekels (about $85 billion)
Reduction of household costs by 120,500 shekels (about $32,000) over the past decade
Savings in electricity costs (126 billion shekels) and industry (190 billion shekels)
Reduction of air pollution and elimination of polluting fuels like coal
The price of natural gas in Israel has been stable and low (5.3 dollars per MMBTU, equivalent to 19 cents per cubic meter), while the average price in Europe is about 10.8 dollars per MMBTU.
Electricity production sources
Between 2000 and 2014, over 70% of Israel’s electricity was generated by coal and oil, but from 2015 natural gas consumption for electricity generation increased, and now over 70% of electricity comes from gas-fired thermal power plants. The average electricity price for Israeli citizens is about 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, nearly half of Europe’s average price (27 cents). While electricity prices in European countries have risen by 40%, Israel’s household electricity costs have dropped 11% since 2015.
Crude oil imports
The Zionist regime produces almost no oil domestically. Approximately 250,000 barrels of oil are imported daily, mainly from these routes:
Azerbaijan via the port of Ceyhan
Kazakhstan via the Novorossiysk port in Russia
Partly from Iraq (previously) and also Egypt, Nigeria, Gabon, Brazil, and the United States.
Israel’s oil is processed in two refineries in Haifa and Ashkelon.
In 2022, final energy consumption in the Zionist regime showed the transport sector had the largest share at 39%, mainly relying on petroleum products. This was followed by the household sector at 34% and industry at 16% of total energy consumption.
Overall, Israel sources about 90% of its energy needs from oil and natural gas, a heavy dependency that creates serious risks during crises and regional tensions.
Regarding final energy composition, 55% of Israel’s consumption comes from petroleum products and 37% from natural gas. Additionally, about 34% of final energy is supplied indirectly via electricity, mostly produced from natural gas.
A notable point is the transport sector’s 100% dependency on oil, while electricity generation primarily depends on gas-fired thermal power plants. This concentrated energy structure makes Israel highly vulnerable to disruptions in oil and gas imports.
Despite limited reserves, Israel’s very high dependence on gas and oil is clear. There are six main energy choke points: two gas fields (Tamar and Leviathan), two oil refineries (Haifa and Ashkelon), and two oil terminals. Attacks on these points could completely paralyze Israel’s energy. Low resource diversity, limited infrastructure, and high facility concentration increase the regime’s strategic vulnerability.
Given the geopolitical location and constant regional tensions, Israel needs to diversify primary energy sources, reduce fossil fuel dependency, and strengthen diplomatic ties for stable oil and gas imports. However, attacks like “Al-Aqsa Storm” and widespread conflicts severely threaten Israel’s energy development capacity.
Looking at Israel’s energy structure, it’s clear that continued Iranian missile attacks and the potential blockade of oil and gas imports could quickly paralyze Israel’s energy infrastructure. According to official data, about 90% of Israel’s final energy consumption depends on oil and natural gas—oil that is almost entirely imported through limited and specific routes such as Turkey’s Ceyhan port (for Azerbaijani oil) and Russia’s Novorossiysk port (for Kazakh oil).
Dr. Shaul Cohen, former energy geopolitics professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said: “Israel is walking a tightrope in crude oil supply. If any key oil import routes are disrupted, the fuel supply systems for the military and public transport will face disruptions within days.” This issue becomes more critical considering Israel’s 100% transport dependency on oil and the concentration of refineries in only two points (Haifa and Ashkelon).
Moreover, since 55% of total final energy consumption is from petroleum products and 37% from natural gas, any disruption in oil imports or direct attacks on Leviathan and Tamar gas fields could simultaneously threaten electricity production, transport networks, and industry.
Gas exports cut, now oil and gas imports are next
Additionally, Israel lacks extensive strategic reserves. According to regional energy experts, Israel can only last a few weeks with existing reserves, provided Iranian missile attacks on critical centers do not continue. But if the attacks persist and are targeted, imports will stop. Particularly as Israel’s gas exports to Egypt and Jordan are currently halted due to the shutdown of major gas fields out of fear of Iranian attacks—this dual hit will severely impact Israel’s energy revenues.
Ultimately, Israel’s highly concentrated energy facilities in a few limited points and lack of import route diversity have turned it into a “vulnerable energy island.” In such a scenario, if Iran or its regional allies succeed in threatening or temporarily cutting off energy flows to Israel, complete paralysis of Israel’s critical and economic infrastructure is likely and even predictable.
