Day 178 | Iran says finds new gas, after war hits energy sector
Iran said on Sunday it had discovered more than 200 billion cubic metres of natural gas, months into the Middle East war that has hit the country's energy infrastructure and production.
"New gas reserves were discovered in the south of Fars province," Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad told state television, adding that over 160 billion cubic metres could be extracted from the field.
He described it as sweet natural gas, which has very little of the toxic gas hydrogen sulphide, resulting in lower operating and development costs.
According to Bloomberg, any new production from the site would likely be years away.
Iran's energy sector has taken a hit since joint US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic launched the Middle East war in late February.
The countries have struck Iran's energy infrastructure such as gas production facilities or oil depots, as well as transport routes.
US will “sever every economic lifeline” for Iran: Bessent
US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent warned Monday that the United States will “sever every economic lifeline” for Iran, as president Trump said earlier that Tehran will suffer an economic “D-Day”.
Bessent, in statements to Financial Times, said that the upcoming sanctions will be the “single greatest financial offensive” and that any countries trading with Tehran will be declared as “global pariahs” for Washington.
Iran allegedly exploits Haredi tensions to recruit agents, 'Israeli' media says
'Israel’s' internal security agency, Shin Bet, has launched a broad awareness campaign within the Haredi community after identifying what it says are Iranian attempts to exploit the sector to recruit agents and spies, according to a report by journalist Shilo Fried in Yedioth Ahronoth.
The report said Shin Bet officers have contacted Haredi opinion leaders, rabbis, newspaper editors and local authority heads to warn against suspicious recruitment approaches, including requests to photograph locations or transport packages in exchange for money.
Security officials reportedly warned that limited exposure to digital media among some members of the community could make them more vulnerable to online recruitment and manipulation.
Read more: Iran executes January protest detainee accused of espionage
Warnings from rabbis
The campaign has included public warnings from Rabbi Yigal Cohen, as well as articles in Haredi publications including Yated Ne'eman and Rega highlighting alleged Iranian recruitment efforts.
Media figures have also promoted the warnings, while Yedidya Lau, an adviser involved in local coordination, has participated in efforts to raise awareness within the community.
Shin Bet said in an official response that its legal mandate includes preventing intelligence threats, which requires conducting awareness activities to strengthen security readiness among different sectors of society.
The report comes amid heightened security tensions and growing 'Israeli' media focus on alleged Iranian espionage and recruitment efforts. However, the report did not provide verified statistics on the number of cases detected or prevented.
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Read more: Day 177 | Iran warns countries against joining US sanctions
