Speaking Sunday at a ceremony marking the 46th anniversary of Sacred Defense Week and the lifting of the siege of Abadan, Azimifar said the sector relied on domestic capabilities and the dedication of its employees to prevent disruptions to people’s daily lives.

He said the energy sector had been a major focus of recent wars, both because of attacks on upstream and downstream oil and gas infrastructure and because of their broader geopolitical implications for global energy security and international markets.

Azimifar said the adversary had targeted the refining and distribution chain in an effort to disrupt vital supply routes and undermine the country’s fuel distribution network.

He said oil depots in Tehran and Alborz provinces, along with fuel-transfer facilities, were attacked on the evening of March 6, 2026. The facilities were responsible for supplying and distributing millions of liters of fuel to consumers each day, he said, adding that the objective was to undermine public resilience, generate dissatisfaction and put the country under pressure.

The NIORDC chief said the refining and distribution sector had lost **seven employees** in efforts to protect the country’s energy supply system.

Fuel Distribution Maintained in 72 Hours

Azimifar said the pumping stations at the Rey Oil Depot serve as a critical hub for transferring petroleum products. He said the attackers had calculated that targeting the facilities would completely halt fuel distribution across northern Iran within 72 hours.

However, despite fires at the facilities and the high risks involved, employees of the refining sector, the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company and the National Iranian Oil Pipeline and Telecommunication Company launched round-the-clock operations.

Although pipeline transfers were temporarily halted, fuel deliveries were maintained through the coordinated deployment of **thousands of tanker trucks**, preventing major disruptions to the country’s fuel distribution network, Azimifar said.

He said maintaining fuel supplies frustrated efforts to create fuel shortages and disrupt people’s daily lives.

“Through the dedication of oil industry employees, the adversary’s calculations were defeated and services to the public continued without interruption,” Azimifar said.