Ali Ahmadipour, managing director of the Iranian Oil Pipeline and Telecommunication Co., said the 26-inch pipeline, stretching 455 kilometers, symbolizes national determination and the use of domestic capabilities.

The line is designed to carry 300,000 barrels — about 48 million liters — of oil products per day. Ahmadipour said the first phase, with an operational capacity of 13 million liters a day, has come online and will gradually reach full capacity within the year.

“The launch of this project under current conditions plays a key role in reducing fuel imbalances and ensuring reliable transport across the production, transfer and distribution chain,” he said.

The Bandar Abbas–Rafsanjan pipeline, along with the Sabzeab–Shazand line, was officially inaugurated via videoconference by President Masoud Pezeshkian, accompanied by Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad.

Officials said the Rafsanjan line will help meet rising demand in central and northern Iran, while the Sabzeab–Shazand pipeline, built with an investment of €330 million, will provide a steady feedstock supply to refineries in Shazand and Isfahan.

The projects were commissioned by the National Iranian Oil Engineering and Construction Co. and are operated by the IOPTC. Their construction created about 3,500 direct jobs and 7,000 indirect jobs, officials said.