Mansour Moazami said the letter attributed to committee members lacks a signature, and it is unclear who wrote or distributed it.

He said the committee was formed roughly two years ago for a specific task and stopped operating once that task was complete. Since then, he said, the group has held no meetings, issued no statements and had no activities, so any material published under its name has no connection to it.

Spreading false information not in the country's interest during wartime, official says

Moazami pointed to the current situation in the country, saying it is now in an extraordinary, wartime state. He said that in such conditions, no one should publish inaccurate material or make statements that could weaken morale or spread discouragement. He called the letter's distribution neither in the country's interest nor a responsible act.

Criticism only carries weight when fair and documented

Moazami stressed the value of constructive criticism, saying that when grounded in fairness, sound reasoning, ethics, justice and transparency, it can help correct problems. He said the published letter showed none of those qualities.

He added that after speaking with many committee members, he found none had prior knowledge of the letter. He said the members instead expressed the view that, during this difficult period for the country, everyone should recognize the efforts of oil industry workers, who he said are shouldering the responsibility of maintaining the country's energy supply under difficult conditions and deserve support and appreciation.

Moazami closed by thanking the oil minister and industry workers, saying the country needs unity, solidarity and cooperation now more than ever so the oil industry can continue its work. He credited round-the-clock efforts by industry employees for keeping the sector stable under difficult circumstances and offered his thanks to all of them.