Iranian Petroleum Minister Javad Owji on Wednesday blamed Israel for several recent major natural gas pipeline explosions.

Mr Owji said on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting that the damage had been repaired and described the act as “an Israeli conspiracy that was not successful.”

Several natural gas pipelines in Iran’s interior and south were struck by blasts a week ago.

Saeid Aghli, a top official with the national gas company, earlier described the incidents as a “terrorist” attack but did not attribute responsibility.

On Friday, the New York Times reported that Israel was behind the explosions, citing two Western government officials and a military strategist affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

 Israel has not commented.

The New York Times said its sources described the attacks as causing relatively little damage and largely “symbolic” in nature. 

(dpa/NAN)