Iran races to restore oil refining capacity within 2 months after US strikes

New Delhi,UPDATED: Apr 12, 2026 22:48 IST

Iran aims to restore 70–80% of its refining and distribution capacity to pre-attack levels within one to two months, a senior oil official said, adding that repair efforts are underway following damage from recent US and Israeli strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure.

Deputy Minister of Oil Mohammad Sadeq Azimifar informed the Student News Network that repair work has started, with part of the Lavan refinery expected to resume operations in about 10 days. Other units are anticipated to come back online gradually.

Azimifar confirmed that reconstruction teams were deployed promptly to most damaged sites. Contractors were engaged quickly, and work to clear debris and replace damaged equipment has begun.

The Lavan Island refinery in southern Iran is among the facilities receiving attention, with partial operations forecast to restart soon. These steps are part of a wider effort to recover production capacity.

Since February 28, over 3,000 people have died in US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. In response, Tehran conducted retaliatory strikes against Israel, Iraq, Jordan, and Gulf nations hosting US military forces. A two-week ceasefire was declared earlier this week.

Recently, Iranian and US delegations held 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, but did not reach an agreement. Both sides left without resolving key differences.

Officials indicated that further diplomatic discussions will be necessary to address outstanding issues. The talks marked a step in ongoing efforts to manage tensions.

Iran continues to focus on restoring its energy infrastructure amid the broader context of regional hostilities and diplomatic negotiations.

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