Iran says 40% of capacity at its giant gas field has been restored

Iran announced that 40 percent of the damaged capacity at its massive South Pars gas field has been restored, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. However, Deputy Oil Minister Ahmad Zeraatkar warned that rebuilding the facility, which was attacked by Israel this year, will take at least two years. Zeraatkar stated, "We managed to restore about 40 percent of the damaged capacity with the tools we have.

The damage inflicted is very severe. It will definitely take at least two years of work just for those sites to be rebuilt." Iranian officials have downplayed the impact on energy exports, which are crucial for government finances. Deputy Oil Minister Zeraatkar noted that Israel and the US aim to weaken the government's ability to support its citizens by targeting energy.

He emphasized that "we know this gas belongs to us and has created a semi-welfare state in our country. The goal of the damage is to hurt that, which would cause us to fall into trouble during the seasons when we have difficulties." Earlier this week, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad acknowledged a decrease in oil sales during the US blockade, though he maintained that sales have continued.

South Pars, located in the Persian Gulf and shared between Iran and Qatar, is part of the world's largest natural gas reserves. The Israeli strike on Iranian facilities in March marked a significant escalation in the conflict, leading to retaliatory attacks on major energy facilities in the region and driving up oil prices.