Abadan
South-western Iranian oil city on the Shatt al-Arab, home to the Middle East's oldest refinery.
Last refreshed: 15 July 2026
Why has Abadan's century-old refinery been struck four nights running?
Timeline for Abadan
Mentioned in: Fourth night of strikes hits Abadan
Iran Conflict 2026Where is Abadan in Iran?
Why is the Abadan refinery historically significant?
When did the US strike the Abadan refinery in 2026?
Background
CENTCOM struck the Abadan refinery on the night of 13-14 July 2026, part of a fourth consecutive night of US strikes that also hit Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Mahshahr, Qeshm Island and Kish Island.
Abadan sits in Khuzestan province on the Shatt al-Arab waterway, at the heart of Iran's oil industry. Its refinery was commissioned in 1912 by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and grew into one of the world's largest, before being nationalised in 1951 under Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, the act that triggered the Abadan Crisis and set Britain and Iran on a collision course over oil sovereignty.
The city carries deeper wartime weight: Iraqi forces besieged Abadan for years during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, making it a defining symbol of Iranian resistance. The renewed strikes on its refinery in 2026 target the same strategic asset that has drawn outside powers to the city for more than a century.
What happened at Abadan during the Iran-Iraq War?
Who nationalised the Abadan refinery in 1951?
