According to the National Iranian Gas Company, Saeid Tavakoli made the remarks Wednesday during a meeting with Governor General Mansour Bijar while visiting the province. He praised the round-the-clock efforts of gas industry workers and described Sistan and Baluchestan as a strategic priority for the company.

Tavakoli said the gas sector sustained the greatest damage during the recent 12-day war, noting that several refinery units were directly hit. He said damaged facilities were rebuilt in record time and at a cost far below initial estimates, thanks to domestic capabilities. One affected unit has already returned to production, and plans are in place to restart others in the coming months.

“The war taught us that negligence, delays and lack of preparedness can paralyze the network,” Tavakoli said. “That experience reinforced our decision to move forward with transparency, operational readiness and reliance on domestic expertise.”

Despite what he described as an especially difficult winter due to growing supply-demand imbalances, Tavakoli said authorities prevented serious gas shortages in the province. He added that Sistan and Baluchestan’s unique climatic, geographic and social conditions require tailored policies and field-based decision-making.

He credited coordination among the provincial government, the gas company and other agencies with delivering visible results in a short time, saying residents who have endured difficult conditions deserve the best services.

Tavakoli said dozens of cities in the province are included in gas expansion plans and that funding allocated to Sistan and Baluchestan ranks among the highest nationwide. He added that the province’s gas network has expanded to thousands of kilometers in recent years, with more than 1,000 additional kilometers set to be added by the end of the year.

The expansion, he said, will strengthen not only energy infrastructure but also economic development, job creation and social security.

In closing, Tavakoli urged unity and a national perspective, rejecting the notion that the province is deprived. “Sistan and Baluchestan is rich in human and geographic potential,” he said. “If it is properly recognized, it can become one of the country’s drivers of development rather than a recipient of assistance.”