Iran Says Attack Foiled on Oil Facilities in Southern Iran

Plot was intended to mirror Yemeni attack on Saudi oilfields

During Iran’s recent protests related to the increase of gas prices, Iranian officials say they managed to thwart an attack plot by unnamed enemies against oilfields in southern Iran.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani says the plot was to hit the oil facilities in Asaluyeh, in a manner that mirrors the September 14 Yemeni drone attack on Saudi oil facilities.

The US blamed Iran for the attack, despite Yemen’s Houthis taking credit for it. The US never offered any evidence of Iran being behind the attack, but repeatedly made the claim.

Iran didn’t offer specific evidence for the plot they said they foiled either, though they likewise didn’t try to pin it specially on anyone beyond “enemies.” This is likely useful for Iran in the wake of those protests, as an attempt to vindicate claims that the violence within the protests was provoked internationally with an eye toward undermining the country’s infrastructure.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.