Earlier this month, Israel targeted facilities in Mahshahr and Asaluyeh, Iran’s two principal petrochemical centers, which together account for roughly three-quarters of the country’s output.
According to commercial sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, several petrochemical products have become acutely scarce, particularly polymer grades used in food packaging, plastics and basic manufacturing.
The shortages have forced authorities to explore emergency import options, even as logistical and geopolitical constraints complicate procurement.
The scale of disruption is still being assessed, but industry sources say the impact on domestic supply chains has been immediate.
Najmeh Jamshidi, editor-in-chief of Energy Press, previously reported, citing senior executives at petrochemical complexes, that restoring damaged units and associated infrastructure could take anywhere from six months to two years, depending on the extent of damage.
One source said Russia declined Iran’s request to supply certain polymers, citing a sharp rise in global petrochemical prices linked to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the source, Moscow is prioritizing domestic supply to prevent further inflationary pressure in its own market.
Ilham Shaban, head of the Caspian Oil Studies Center, said Russia itself is facing constraints, as some of its petrochemical facilities have been damaged in Ukrainian attacks. This has further limited the country’s ability to meet external demand, particularly for higher-value polymer products.
Before the recent disruptions, Iran exported about 30 million tons of petrochemical products worth roughly $15 billion annually, with polymers accounting for around 12 percent of that volume.
In response to the supply shock, Iranian authorities have moved to ban exports of several petrochemical goods in an effort to stabilize the domestic market.
Another commercial source said Iran has approached Azerbaijan as a potential supplier of polymers, but the country’s limited production capacity makes it unable to significantly offset Iran’s shortfall.
Azerbaijan is also expected to prioritize maintaining its established export markets in Europe and Turkey.
Some of Iran’s Arab neighbours have the scale to potentially offset part of the supply gap. Saudi Arabia alone has about 19 million tons of annual polymer production capacity, while the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are also major exporters.
However, given Iran’s recent attacks on these countries during the conflict, they are unlikely to assist in covering Iran’s shortages.
At the same time, disruptions affecting shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two months have pushed global polymer prices up by about 50 percent.
The combination of domestic supply disruptions and tightening international markets has deepened shortages, raising concerns about broader impacts on downstream industries and the availability of consumer goods.
