In a significant escalation of conflict in the Middle East, Israel conducted an airstrike on the South Pars natural gas field in Iran, affecting oil and gas targets in the Persian Gulf. Following this attack, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Israel would not target the gas field again but warned of potential U.S. retaliation if Iran continued to strike Qatar’s energy infrastructure.
The strikes on energy facilities in the region, coupled with the closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz, have led to disruptions in global energy supply and transit routes, causing a surge in energy prices worldwide.
The South Pars natural gas field, shared by Iran and Qatar, is the largest natural gas deposit globally. Iran heavily relies on South Pars for domestic energy, with about 80% of its natural gas supply coming from there. The attack on South Pars has raised concerns about potential energy disruptions in the region.
Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility, a key liquefied natural gas (LNG) export hub, suffered substantial damage in the conflict. Iran’s attacks on the facility have impacted Qatar’s LNG export capacity, threatening global energy supplies and causing an estimated loss of $20 billion in annual revenue.
In Saudi Arabia, the SAMREF refinery, a crucial crude export outlet jointly owned by Aramco and Exxon, was hit by a drone strike. The extent of the damage is still being assessed. Additionally, Saudi air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, where SAMREF is located.
The attacks on various energy facilities in the Middle East have triggered widespread condemnation, with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit denouncing them as a dangerous escalation. The Habshan gas facility in Abu Dhabi was also affected, leading to the suspension of operations due to missile interceptions and falling debris incidents.
Furthermore, two refineries in Kuwait, Mina al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah, were targeted by drones, resulting in fires at both sites. In Israel, an Iranian missile struck oil refineries in Haifa, causing brief power disruptions but no significant damage, according to Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Eli Cohen.