“The fire has been controlled and the reason for the fire is unknown but it is under investigation,” said Abdollah Kabi, a member of parliament’s Energy committee.
The damage to the plant at Abadan had no impact on oil exports from the world’s fifth-biggest exporter as it is involved in producing gasoline, not the production of crude.
Foreign sanctions — imposed on Iran to persuade the Islamic state to halt its sensitive nuclear work, have forced the country to implement an emergency plan to produce gasoline in petrochemical plants and speed up new refinery projects.
But many external experts dismiss Tehran’s claims that it is now at or close to self-sufficiency.
An explosion at the Abadan refinery in May took place during a visit by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was unhurt.
Iran says the sanctions are illegal and that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by James Jukwey)
