Iran Restores 40% Capacity at South Pars Gas Field Following Israeli Attack

Iran has successfully restored 40 percent of the damaged capacity at the South Pars gas field, according to the semi-official news agency Fars. However, officials estimate that it will take a minimum of two years to fully rebuild the facility following an attack by Israel earlier this year.

“With the tools we have, we managed to restore about 40 percent of the damaged capacity. However, the damage that has been inflicted is very severe. It will definitely take at least two years of work just for those sites to be rebuilt,” stated Iran’s deputy oil minister, Ahmad Zeraatkar, speaking to Fars on Thursday.

While Iranian officials have acknowledged disruptions to the energy exports crucial for government finances, they have also sought to minimize the impact. Zeraatkar noted that the actions by the US and Israel against the energy sector aim to undermine the government’s ability to support the public.

“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,” he explained.

Earlier this week, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad conceded that oil sales have “decreased to some extent” amidst the US blockade, though he maintained that exports have nonetheless “continued.”

The South Pars field forms a segment of the world’s largest natural gas reserves situated offshore in the Persian Gulf. Shared between Iran and Qatar—where the Qatari portion is designated as the North Field—the site became the target of an Israeli strike in March. That military action marked a notable escalation in the war, triggering retaliatory Iranian strikes against major energy facilities belonging to Gulf neighbors, driving oil prices upward, and prompting US President Donald Trump to issue a threat to “blow up” South Pars if Iran failed to cease its attacks.