According to a report by The New York Times, Israel has been implicated in covert attacks on two major natural gas pipelines within Iran this week. Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji labeled the incidents as "terrorist sabotage," resulting in massive explosions and subsequent fires in the country's southwestern province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, as well as the southern province of Fars. These attacks severely disrupted the flow of heat and cooking gas to provinces housing millions of people. Owji denounced the assaults, stating that their aim was to damage Iran's energy infrastructure and incite domestic unrest.
Saeed Aqli, head of dispatching operations at the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), confirmed the targeted transmission lines and outlined ongoing efforts to address the situation. Meanwhile, as anti-Iran media outlets had previously hinted at assaults on the Iranian energy sector, some US senators, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, had proposed aggressive actions against Iran's oil and gas infrastructure. Despite these developments, Iran has consistently maintained that regional resistance groups operate independently and do not receive directives or financial support from the country.