Iranian authorities have blamed the US and Israel for attacking key petrochemical facilities in the southwestern province of Khuzestan on Saturday, marking a significant escalation against the country's energy infrastructure, if confirmed.

The US and Israel have yet to comment on the claims. US President Donald Trump had threatened to target Iran’s energy infrastructure but said such strikes were on hold pending a potential deal, with a deadline set for April 6, The Caspian Post reports, citing foreign media.

Valiollah Hayati, deputy governor of Khuzestan, told the semi-official news agency Tasnim that explosions were first heard in areas east and west of Ahvaz, the provincial capital, with no immediate reports of casualties. Minutes later, more powerful blasts struck the Mahshahr Special Petrochemical Zone, one of Iran’s most important industrial hubs.

He said several major facilities, including the Fajr 1 and 2, Rejal and Amir Kabir plants, were directly hit, warning that casualties were likely.

Iranian officials later reported at least five people injured across Mahshahr and Bandar-e Imam Khomeini, where further strikes caused partial damage to petrochemical infrastructure.

Separate strikes were also reported at the Shalamcheh border trade terminal near Khorramshahr, a key commercial crossing, in an apparent broader strategy to disrupt energy production and logistics in the province.

Authorities said industrial units in the Mahshahr zone were evacuated after the attacks. They said any hazardous materials released so far did not pose an immediate threat to nearby communities.

If confirmed, the strikes would mark a significant widening of the conflict, directly targeting Iran’s petrochemical sector - a critical pillar of its economy and a major source of export revenue.

The zone hosts dozens of petrochemical complexes producing important export commodities such as methanol, ammonia, polyethylene and other polymers, much of which is shipped to Asian markets. Facilities such as Fajr and Amir Kabir play a central role in supplying feedstock, power and processing capacity across the sector.

Analysts say sustained attacks on these facilities could disrupt domestic fuel supplies, reduce export capacity and place further strain on global energy markets already rattled by the closure of key shipping routes.

There are also concerns over environmental fallout, the risk of secondary explosions in densely clustered industrial zones and the potential for retaliatory strikes by Iran, raising the prospect of a broader and more sustained escalation.