Explosions rock natural gas pipeline in Iran in suspected sabotage and terrorist attack. The incident comes amidst heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Israel engaged in a war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The blasts targeted a natural gas pipeline that stretches from Iran's western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province to cities along the Caspian Sea. The pipeline, extending over 1,270 kilometers, originates in Asaluyeh, a key hub for Iran's offshore South Pars gas field.
Saeed Aghli, manager of Iran's gas network control center, stated on Iranian state television that the explosions were the result of sabotage and terrorism along various sections of the pipeline. However, no suspects have been named, and it is unclear which group or individual may be responsible.
Significantly, there are no known insurgent groups operating in the province where the attacks occurred. The Bakhtiari, a branch of Iran's Lur ethnic group, predominantly reside in the area. This has raised further questions about the motive behind the incident.
Iran's Oil Minister Javad Owji compared this attack to a series of unclaimed assaults on gas pipelines in 2011, which occurred around the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Owji suggested that the attackers aimed to disrupt gas supplies to major provinces but failed to achieve their objective. Only a few villages near the gas transmission lines experienced temporary disruptions.
While attacks on oil pipelines by Arab separatists in southwestern Iran have been reported in the past, acts of sabotage targeting gas infrastructure elsewhere in the country are rare occurrences.
Iran has experienced ongoing separatist unrest since the revolution, with Kurdish groups in the northwest, Baluch groups in the east, and Arab groups in the southwest pushing for independence. However, recent years have witnessed rising socioeconomic challenges in Iran due to international sanctions related to its nuclear program. Consequently, the country has also faced significant domestic protests, including the recent demonstrations in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in custody reportedly due to disputes over her headscarf.
In addition to these internal issues, tensions have escalated due to Israeli attacks on Iran, primarily targeting its nuclear program. The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog recently expressed concerns about Iran's lack of transparency regarding its atomic program. This comes as an Iranian official, who formerly led Tehran's program, claimed that the country possessed all the necessary components to build a weapon.
Furthermore, Iran is also facing challenges as groups it supports in the region, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels, have been actively launching attacks against Israel in response to the ongoing war in Gaza. The Houthi rebels have been targeting commercial shipping in the region, leading to repeated airstrikes by the United States and the United Kingdom.
The circumstances surrounding the explosions of the natural gas pipeline in Iran remain shrouded in mystery. As investigations continue, the incident adds to the growing tension in the region and raises concerns about the security of critical energy infrastructure.
