Iran announces massive gas discovery amid war disruptions
Motorists drive vehicles past a billboard depicting Iran's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei along a street, central Tehran, Iran, Aug. 8, 2026. (AFP Photo)


Iran has announced on Sunday it has discovered over 7.5 trillion cubic ​feet (212.4 billion cubic meters) of gas in a field ⁠in the south ⁠of its Fars Province, according to Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad, ​quoted by state ​media.

Given an estimated recovery ratio, Paknejad said it was possible to extract about 5,700 billion cubic feet of gas from that field.

Iran has estimated its prewar production at around 650 million cubic meters (mcm) per day, which ⁠translates ⁠into around 8.4 trillion cubic feet per year.

Tehran, which has been carrying out repairs to its energy infrastructure damaged during the war with Israel and the U.S., now faces planned U.S. sanctions ⁠that could put further strain on its economy.

In July, a senior government official ​said Iran expected to restore about 100 ​mcm per day of natural gas production capacity "within the ⁠coming ‌months," after ‌strikes cut output by about ⁠230 mcm per ‌day since the war started in ​late February.

Paknejad ⁠said the discovered ⁠gas was "sweet," which meant it would reduce ⁠both development ​and operating costs.