Name: Iran–Israel proxy conflict
Location: Iran

Latest Developments

Israel Strikes Iran’s Largest Petrochemical Plant: The Israeli Air Force launched strikes against Iran’s largest petrochemical plant, Asaluyeh, on April 6. According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF has now struck sites responsible for 85 percent of the Islamic Republic’s petrochemical exports. Iranian state media confirmed the strikes, saying that the Mobin and Damavand companies, which supply water and electricity to the plant, were struck in the course of the operation.
Key IRGC Intelligence Chief Eliminated: The IDF eliminated Maj. Gen. Seyed Majid Khademi during overnight strikes on April 6, the latest high-ranking regime figure to be killed during the war by Israel. Khademi was the intelligence commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was appointed in June 2025 after his predecessor was killed by Israel during the 12-Day War.
Trump’s Deadline: President Donald Trump on social media posted a deadline of 8 p.m. on April 7 for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening strikes on power plants and bridges if the regime did not comply. Iranian presidential spokesman Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabai called Trump’s statements “sheer desperation and anger,” vowing that Iran will only reopen the waterway “when all the damage caused by the imposed war is compensated … using a portion of the revenue from transit fees.”

FDD Expert Response

“The Asaluyeh petrochemical complex, home to roughly 50 percent of Iran’s total petrochemical production, is not a privately owned company in any meaningful sense. Its facilities belong to the Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company, which the U.S. Treasury sanctioned in 2019 for channeling hundreds of millions of dollars to the IRGC’s engineering and construction arm, Khatam al-Anbiya. The Israeli strike on Mabin and Damavand Energy, the utility backbone of the entire zone, was aimed at cutting the power and oxygen supply to ensure that the Tehran regime’s entire petrochemical revenue engine goes dark.” — Miad Maleki, Senior Fellow

“Israel is striking at the IRGC’s revenue engine by targeting Iran’s petrochemical sector — but that pressure needs to be extended. The United States should be interdicting Chinese shipments of propellant precursors bound for Iran, preventing Tehran from restocking the very inputs it uses to attack U.S. forces and our allies. Several of these shipments appear to have already reached Iran since the war began, raising serious questions about U.S. interdiction efforts. This is a two-sided problem — and it requires a two-sided strategy.” — Max Meizlish, Research Fellow

“Striking Iranian infrastructure can degrade the regime’s economy and logistics, but risks weakening the foundations a future government will need. Tehran’s actions, from closing the Strait of Hormuz to hitting oil sites, are driving that escalation. Washington’s messaging must remain clear to avoid alienating ordinary Iranians.” — Janatan Sayeh, Research Analyst