30 Sep 2019; MEMO: Iran’s oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zangeneh, has ordered his country’s energy sector to raise its alert levels against cyber and military attacks that could target the oil industry.
Zanganeh’s remarks came in a statement yesterday on the occasion of the National Day of Fire Safety.
The minister pointed out that the oil sector is the main source of income and power in the country, stressing that the “economic war” being waged against his country aimed at harming Iran’s oil capabilities.
Zangeneh stressed the need to take all managerial, technical and operational measures to protect Iran’s oil facilities
The US, Saudi Arabia and other important European countries blamed Iran for attacks on Saudi oil facilities on 14 September, which affected more than five per cent of global oil supplies. Iran denied the allegations, but said it was ready for a “full-fledged” war.
The Yemeni Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attacks, claiming that they were a response to the aggression that has been carried out by the Saudi-led coalition against the Yemeni people since 2015.
