Iran: Targeted gas pipelines have become operational again
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The head of dispatching operations at the National Iranian Gas Company announces that the repair operations of the gas transmission pipelines have been completed and that they have become fully operational again.
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In this March 11, 2013 file photo, Iranian workers weld two gas pipes together at the start of construction on a pipeline to transfer natural gas from Iran to Pakistan, in Chabahar, southeastern Iran, near the Pakistani border. (AP)
The head of dispatching operations at the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Saeed Aqli, confirmed the gas transmission pipelines that were targeted by a terrorist attack this week have been reactivated in the cities of Burajen and Safashahr.
In a statement to Fars Agency today, Aqli announced that the repair operations of the gas transmission pipelines have been completed and that they have become fully operational.
He also indicated that about 470 million cubic meters of natural gas were consumed in homes, commercial workshops, and basic industries over the past 24 hours, constituting about 70 percent of the total gas production in the country.
Aqli expects gas consumption to reach an average of 580 million cubic meters in the coming days because of the cold weather.
NYT claims 'Israel' behind the attack on Iran
Israeli occupation forces launched attacks that targeted Wednesday two vital gas pipelines within Iran, disrupting the supply of heat and cooking gas to Iranian provinces with millions of residents, The New York Times reported citing two Western officials and a military strategist associated with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji previously described the incidents as "sabotage and terrorist attacks," and pointed out on Friday that "the enemy’s plan was to completely disrupt the flow of gas in winter to several main cities and provinces in our country."
The Western officials and the Iranian military strategist highlighted that the gas pipeline attacks reportedly carried out by "Israel" required in-depth knowledge of Iran's infrastructure and precise coordination, considering that two pipelines were simultaneously targeted in multiple locations.
According to one Western official who said the strike was major and symbolic, the damage was relatively easy for Iran to repair and caused minimal harm to civilians, but delivered a clear warning of the potential damage "Israel" could cause amid escalating conflicts in the Middle East and heightened tensions between Iran and the Israeli occupation and the United States.
The New York Times cited Western officials as saying that "Israel" was also responsible for a separate explosion on Thursday in a chemical factory on the outskirts of the Iranian capital Tehran, causing a disturbance in the neighborhood and sending smoke and fire into the air. However, local officials mentioned that the factory explosion resulted from an accident in the fuel tank.
The attack on Wednesday targeted multiple points along two main gas pipelines in the Iranian provinces of Fars and Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, and according to Iranian officials and local media, the disruption extended to residential homes, government buildings, and major factories, affecting at least five provinces across the country.
