Iranian strikes on Saturday have targeted Gulf aluminum smelters responsible for roughly 20% of U.S. aluminum imports, causing benchmark prices to spike to a four-year high.
Emirates Global Aluminium said its Al Taweelah site in Abu Dhabi, which produces 1.5 million metric tons annually, sustained “significant damage” from Iranian drone and missile strikes on Saturday. Several employees were injured.
UAE’s largest aluminum facility on fire after Iranian strike
The Emirates Global Aluminum Al-Taweelah site near Abu Dhabi and Dubai was hit by Iranian missiles.
Emirates Global Aluminium Al Taweelah facility is one of the world’s largest single-site aluminum smelters and a… pic.twitter.com/EIwHaMT36U
— Global Insight Journal (@GlobalIJournal) March 29, 2026
“The safety and security of our people is our top priority at all times,” CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban said. “We are deeply saddened and are assessing the damage to our facilities.”
Aluminum Bahrain, the world’s largest aluminum smelter, which produces 1.6 million tons per year, was also targeted on the same day.
Two employees suffered minor injuries from the attack. The company said it is still assessing the damage from the Iranian strikes.
🚨‼️ BREAKING 💥
The IRGC announced that it struck the Alba company, one of the largest aluminum smelters in the world, in Bahrain, as well as aluminum factories in the UAE — in response to the attack on steel factories in Iran 🇮🇷🚀💥🇧🇭🇦🇪. pic.twitter.com/gzq35SGFue— 𝐓𝐌𝐓 (@TMT_arabic) March 29, 2026
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the strikes on Gulf metal plants were in response to earlier attacks on two Iranian steel plants.
In response to the attack by the US and its #proxies on 2 Iranian steel plants, 3 major industrial sites targeted and struck:
Emirates Steel,
Bahrain Steel,
and Aluminum Bahrain.Iran repeatedly announced that if Iran was attacked, US and its financial backers would be targeted.
— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) March 28, 2026
Aluminum, widely used in vehicles, packaging and construction, is listed among the 60 critical minerals identified by the U.S. government. In 2025, the U.S. produced just 660,000 tons domestically, while nearly 22% of its imports came from Middle Eastern suppliers, according to Trade Data Monitor.
Prices reacted sharply on Monday following the strike, with London Metal Exchange futures jumping 6% to $3,492 per ton, a price last seen in 2022.
Aluminum prices surged to a record $4,073.50 per ton in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the country being a major global producer of the metal.
