Gulf oil wells at risk, Iran official cautions

Shafaq News- Tehran

Gulf oil wells could be “set on fire” if US strikes on Iran continue, senior Iranian official Ezzatollah Zarghami warned on Thursday.

“A blow to Iran is a blow to all energy and economic equations in the world,” declared Zarghami, who is a conservative figure who serves on Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace. He previously headed state broadcaster IRIB and served as minister of cultural heritage, tourism, and handicrafts.

The US earlier renewed strikes on targets inside Iran, leading to retaliatory attacks that Tehran said targeted US military sites in Gulf states. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was near standstill on Thursday, according to ship-tracking data.

CNN reported that Pakistan and Qatar were trying to bring Washington and Tehran back to negotiations after earlier Switzerland-hosted talks led to a memorandum of understanding in mid-June. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry urged both sides to exercise restraint and continue diplomacy, saying there was no alternative to dialogue for regional peace.