Tehran intensified attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf region Thursday, targeting a Saudi refinery and setting Qatari liquefied natural gas facilities and two Kuwaiti oil refineries ablaze, according to reports from multiple sources. The escalation follows an Israeli strike on Iran’s main natural gas field.
The attacks represent a significant broadening of the conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28, and have sent global crude prices soaring despite efforts by countries to release strategic oil reserves. Qatar has reported “sizable fires and extensive further damage” to its LNG sites, while Saudi Arabia confirmed an attack on a refinery on the Red Sea.
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning late Wednesday, stating that if Iran continues to strike Qatar’s energy infrastructure, the U.S. Would retaliate and “massively blow up the entirety” of the South Pars gas field. Trump added, in a social media post, that he was reluctant to authorize such a destructive action due to its long-term implications.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded with a statement indicating “zero restraint” if its own oil sites are targeted again. The statement, reported by multiple international news outlets, did not specify what actions would constitute a triggering event, but underscored the escalating tensions.
Two oil tankers were struck in the Gulf earlier this week, resulting in one fatality, as Iran continued attacks across the region. Simultaneously, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported striking a “critical” nuclear site near Tehran. On Wednesday, Iran launched five salvos of missiles toward Israel, with no reported injuries, following a coordinated attack with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil shipments, is effectively closed due to the conflict, impacting approximately 90% of crude and refined products typically transported through the passage. Iran has previously threatened to choke off the Strait, further exacerbating the energy crisis.
Israeli strikes have focused on areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs where Hezbollah maintains a strong presence, but have also hit civilian areas in Beirut without warning, resulting in at least six deaths and 24 injuries as of Wednesday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. In northern Israel, police detonated a cluster bomb that had been spread over a wide area.
The opening week of the conflict is reported to have cost the United States more than $11.3 billion, according to a report from The New York Times.
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