The recent sabotage, regarded by analysts as a significant escalation in the ongoing clandestine conflict between Israel and Iran, has resulted in extensive disruption across multiple Iranian provinces.
The targeted sabotage aimed at critical points along two of Iran’s primary natural gas pipelines. Witnesses at one of the attack sites, located in Chahar Mahal Bakhtiari, could only watch as flames engulfed the area following the explosion.
According to reports from two Western officials and a military strategist affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, Israel conducted covert operations targeting two major natural gas pipelines within Iran this week. These strikes disrupted the supply of heating and cooking gas to provinces housing millions of people.
This development marks a notable shift in the shadow warfare that has been ongoing between Israel and Iran, encompassing operations across air, land, sea, and cyberspace for years.
While Israel has historically focused its efforts on targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities, as well as assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists and commanders, this latest move represents a departure by directly attacking Iran’s energy infrastructure.
In addition to previous actions, such as cyberattacks on servers belonging to the Iranian oil ministry, which resulted in widespread disruptions at gas stations nationwide, the destruction of part of Iran’s energy infrastructure signifies an escalation in the covert conflict. This act not only impacts industries and factories but also affects the daily lives of millions of civilians who rely on the uninterrupted flow of gas.
Iran’s oil minister, Javad Owji, addressing the media, characterized the sabotage as an attempt to disrupt gas supplies during winter, targeting major cities and provinces across the country. While Owji refrained from explicitly attributing blame to Israel or any other party, he emphasized that the ultimate aim of the attack was to undermine Iran’s energy infrastructure and incite domestic unrest.
