Iran threatens Gulf energy facilities after Israeli attack on its largest gasfield
Iran threatens Gulf energy facilities after Israeli attack on its largest gasfield
Iran has vowed to strike energy infrastructure across the Gulf in response to Israeli bombings of its major gasfield, marking the first direct assault on its fossil fuel assets since the conflict began. The Revolutionary Guards announced imminent counterstrikes on key facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, following reports that Israeli missiles had damaged the South Pars gas field—the world’s largest natural gas reserve. The attack, which targeted Iran’s shared gas infrastructure with Qatar, was reported in Israeli media as a coordinated effort with U.S. approval.
State-run Iranian outlets listed several critical sites, including Saudi Arabia’s Samref refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex, the UAE’s al-Hosn gas field, Qatar’s Mesaieed petrochemical complex and its holding company, and the Ras Laffan refinery, as potential targets. A warning issued by Iran’s state media urged civilians and staff to evacuate these areas “without delay,” emphasizing their status as “direct and legitimate targets.”
“These centres have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours. Therefore, all citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without any delay,”
Eskandar Pasalar, governor of Asaluyeh in southern Iran, denounced the U.S.-Israeli escalation as “political suicide.” He told state media that the “pendulum of war has swung” toward a “full-scale economic war.” Meanwhile, a Qatari official, Majid al-Ansari, warned that hitting energy infrastructure poses a “threat to global energy security” and endangers regional populations and the environment.
The international oil benchmark surged to $108.60 per barrel, rising 5% in a single day, while Europe’s gas index jumped over 7.5% to €55.50 per megawatt hour. This increase followed fears of further disruptions to global oil and gas supplies, exacerbated by the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The third week of the war saw Iranian strikes on the UAE’s Shah natural gas field, alongside attacks on Iraq’s Majnoon oil field and the UAE’s Fujairah port and storage facility.
Regional oil exports have dropped by at least 60% compared to prewar levels due to drone and missile strikes, as well as Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. This has led Gulf allies to reduce production to avoid exceeding pipeline and storage capacities. Despite this, Iran’s own hydrocarbon infrastructure has remained largely intact, with U.S. strikes on Kharg Island—home to Iran’s oil processing hub—focusing on military assets rather than export facilities.
Since the war’s start, Iran has maintained uninterrupted crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, even as it warned of setting fire to vessels carrying oil from neighboring states. The oil price briefly exceeded $116 per barrel earlier in the week, reaching its highest level since May 2022, as traders factored in the growing risk to supply chains.
