Israel has reportedly carried out covert attacks on two major natural gas pipelines inside Iran, disrupting the flow of heat and cooking gas to provinces with millions of people. This marks a significant shift in the ongoing shadow war between Israel and Iran, which has been waged through various means such as air, land, sea, and cyberattacks.
While Israel has previously targeted military and nuclear sites in Iran, as well as assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists and commanders, the recent attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure represent a new escalation in the covert war. The goal of these attacks was to damage Iran’s energy infrastructure and stir domestic discontent, according to Iran’s oil minister, Javad Owji.
The attacks required deep knowledge of Iran’s infrastructure and careful coordination, as two pipelines were hit in multiple locations at the same time. While the attacks caused relatively little harm to civilians and were fairly easy for Iran to repair, they sent a stark warning of the damage that Israel could inflict as tensions rise between Iran and its adversaries.
In addition to the gas pipeline attacks, Israel also reportedly caused a separate blast inside a chemical factory on the outskirts of Tehran. Iran has denied being involved in the attacks against Israel and the United States, but it supports and arms a network of proxy militia that have been actively fighting with Israel and the United States in various regions.
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