An Arab separatist group claims responsibility for the explosion of two oil pipelines in Khuzestan; Iran denies it

An Arab separatist group in Iran announced on Tuesday, January 3, that two days earlier, it had exploded two oil pipelines in Khuzestan province in a coordinated operation. However, the Iranian Ministry of Interior rejected this claim. According to Reuters, the group 'Arab Liberation Movement of Ahvaz' stated on its website that its military branch attacked two oil pipelines around the cities of Omidiyeh and Daylam, causing damage to these facilities. A spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Interior denied the claim in an interview with state television. In a statement published on its website, the group claimed that in the first attack, it targeted the Marun oil pipeline belonging to the state-owned Agahjari Oil and Gas Company, and in the second attack, it targeted the oil pipeline between the Bahregansar oil field and Khark Island. The Associated Press also reported that this Arab separatist group, while claiming responsibility for these attacks, warned that it would increase the number of its attacks in the new calendar year. This comes at a time when, following a nuclear agreement with the international community, the Iranian government is trying to increase its oil production and exports. The 'Arab Liberation Movement of Ahvaz' published a video on its website claiming to show the scene of one of the oil pipeline explosions. The Associated Press could not verify the authenticity of this video, although similar attacks have been attributed to this group in the past. The group's statement indicated that these attacks were a response to the publication of a list of 29 international companies by the Ministry of Oil, confirming their participation in Iran's oil projects. The group further stated, 'The year 2017 will be very different from previous years as the movement has prepared precise and specific plans for carrying out significant operations against the Iranian government.' Coordinated attacks on oil pipelines could undermine the Iranian government's efforts to increase production and compensate for foreign income shortfalls during years of sanctions. Since the nuclear agreement with the international community, Iran has managed to increase its oil production to about 3.8 million barrels per day.