Petchem Accidents Not Caused by Cyber Attacks: Iranian Commander

Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Sunday, the general said investigations launched into the recent accidents in a number of Iranian petrochemical plants do not point to the conclusion that cyber attacks have caused them.

Safety faults have caused the fires in those petrochemical plants, he added, saying the oil minister has issued an order for serious action on the matter.

According to General Jalali, the Civil Defense Organization and the Oil Ministry will jointly appoint a commander to oversee a contingency plan for preventing such accidents in the country’s southern and southwestern energy-rich areas.

His comments came after multiple accidents in petrochemical plants in the past months.

The most serious incident in the history of Iran’s petrochemical industry occurred in July, when an inferno broke out at Bu Ali Sina Petrochemical Refinery Complex in Mahshahr and raged at a giant storage tank for more than two days.

In late July, another fire broke out at a storage tank in Bistoon Petrochemical Complex in the western province of Kermanshah. The plant returned to service in less than 24 hours.

And in the most recent incident, a unit at the petrochemical complex of Iran’s southwestern port of Bandar Imam Khomeini caught fire in August, causing thick smoke to billow out of the unit, which was filled with material used for producing rubber.