ALBAWABA - Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad visited the vital oil export terminal on Kharg Island on Sunday, AFP reports, in the wake of Israel’s potential threats to strike Iranian oil infrastructure, escalating fears of broader conflict in the region.
Recently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran launched a missile barrage on Israel in retaliation for the Israeli attack that killed Iranian General Abbas Nilforoushan and Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.
Israel has indicated that it may launch a counterattack against Iran, focusing on its oil infrastructure and other strategic locations, with Israeli military official confirming that retribution will occur “when the time is right,” according to Reuters.
With enough capacity to process nearly 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports, Kharg Island is an essential hub for the country's oil exports and plays a significant role in the energy economy of Iran, Iran, a key OPEC member, which produces 3.2 million barrels of oil per day, with exports rising this year despite U.S. sanctions.
As part of a routine tour to evaluate the operating state of the oil terminal and interact with personnel, Paknejad recently paid a visit to the facility, as reported by SHANA, the news agency of the Iranian oil ministry.
Mohammad Hossein Bargahi, the naval commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for the area, was present during Paknejad's visit, with the officials discussing the security measures in place around Iran's oil and gas sites.
Paknejad expressed confidence in the Guards' capacity to protect the essential infrastructure, saying “We are not afraid of our enemies sparking a crisis,” SHANA reports.
