Speaking in a news conference, the president added foreign contractors pulled out of the Phase 11 development project amid sanctions and thought it would be left undone while Iranian experts did the job.

On Monday, Raeisi inaugurated Phase 11, the farthest section of the South Pars gas field Iran shares with Qatar in the Persian Gulf waters.

Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Owji, who also attended the inauguration ceremony, said Phase 11 was officially put into operation while foreign companies, including Total, Shell, and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) did nothing for its development in the past 20 years.

He added the development project of SP Phase 11 was implemented through great efforts made in the past 20 months by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC), Petropars, and the Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company (IOEC) with support of the government.