Iran accuses Israel of being behind attack on gas pipelines

Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Owji accuses Israel of being behind an attack on gas pipelines which occurred last week, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reports.

“The enemy intended to disrupt households’ gas supplies … but within two hours our colleagues worked to counter the Israeli plot which only damaged several pipes,” Owji says.

Last week, the New York Times reported Israel was behind the pair of attacks on major gas pipelines inside Iran, which disrupted the flow of gas to millions of people. The report cited two Western officials and a military strategist affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

A Western official told the newspaper that the strike was largely symbolic, causing minimal harm and being easy to repair, but sent a message that Israel can cause significant damage.

If confirmed, the strike would amount to an escalation by Israel, which has been linked to numerous strikes in Iran over the years, but primarily against the country’s nuclear program, as well as assassinations of senior figures.