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Iranian oil minister accuses Israel of sabotage on gas pipeline — news agency

Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji said that as early as two hours after the blast, specialists began restoring gas supplies

DUBAI, February 21. /TASS/. Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji has accused Israel of committing acts of sabotage on February 14 aimed at disabling the country’s main gas pipeline, the Tasnim news agency said.

According to the official, as a result of an "Israeli plot, only some gas pipeline branches have been damaged," and "the act of sabotage failed to succeed." Owji stressed that as early as two hours after the blast, specialists began restoring gas supplies and "this plot had no consequences for [gas supplies] to cities and residential areas."

On February 14, around 1 a.m., two explosions rocked the main section of a gas pipeline in Iran’s Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province followed by a fire. The oil minister said the incident was an act of sabotage.

On February 17, the New York Times wrote that precisely Israel could carry out secret attacks on two branches of the Iranian gas pipeline on February 14.

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