Iranian Oil Ministry officials have denied rumors that the country�s gas transfer network came under a cyber attack in recent days.

Ministry Spokesman Kasra Nouri said on Wednesday that claims about disruption caused to the supply of gas due to an alleged�cyber attack on the network�were simply untrue.

Nouri told the official IRNA news agency that the national gas network has been functioning properly in recent days.

A spokesman of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) also denied remarks made by a member of the Iranian parliament that cyber attacks had disrupted the flow of gas across a major part of the network in Iran.
�No attack has occurred targeting the country�s gas facilities and we strongly deny any rumor in this regard,� Mohammad Asgari told the IRIB News.
Shahriar Heidari, deputy head of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, said earlier on Wednesday that enemies of the country�had launched fresh cyber attacks targeting the country�s key infrastructure in a bid to compensate their inability to confront Iran militarily.

However, a report by IRNA said rumors about the attack may have spread because of recent drills carried out �to test the sustainability of the Iranian gas network.

The report said the NIGC, responsible for all natural gas transfer and export operations in Iran, routinely launches similar exercises�to increase its preparedness for potential blackouts during cold winter months.

The report said recent drills involved gas supply cuts from a single production facility in the Persian Gulf.

Iran has one of the world�s largest gas supply networks with around 95 percent of the country�s population currently having access to the key energy source through pipelines.

Natural gas is also used on a massive scale by power plants and manufacturers across Iran.

 

Source: Press TV