Blasts hit a natural gas pipeline in Iran and an official says it was an act of sabotage

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Explosions have struck a natural gas pipeline in Iran. An Iranian official on Wednesday blamed the blasts on a “sabotage and terrorist action” in the country as tensions remain high in the Middle East with Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Details were scarce, though the blasts hit a natural gas pipeline running from western Iran north to cities on the Caspian Sea. There are no known insurgent groups operating in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, home to the Bakhtiari, a branch of Iran’s Lur ethnic group. However, Iran has been on edge over its economy and mass protests for years now.