Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened to attack energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar in retaliation for Israeli strikes on its largest gasfield, the South Pars field. The warning, reported by Iranian state media, targets facilities including Saudi Arabia’s Samref refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex, the UAE’s al-Hosn gasfield, and Qatar’s Mesaieed petrochemical complex and Ras Laffan refinery.
The strikes on South Pars, which Iran shares with Qatar, were widely reported in Israeli media to have been carried out by Israel with US consent. This marks a significant escalation, as Iran’s oil and gas sector had largely been spared since the war began. The attack has driven global oil prices towards $110 a barrel, with the international benchmark climbing 5% to $108.60, and Europe’s gas benchmark rising over 7.5%.
Iran’s warning urged civilians and workers to evacuate the targeted areas immediately. Eskandar Pasalar, governor of Asaluyeh in southern Iran, condemned the US-Israeli escalation as “political suicide,” stating that “the pendulum of war has swung” to a “full-scale economic war.” A Qatari government spokesperson, Majid al-Ansari, warned that targeting energy infrastructure threatens global energy security and the region’s environment.
The conflict has already disrupted regional energy exports, with daily oil exports falling by at least 60% due to drone and missile strikes and Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf neighbours have been forced to curtail production as pipelines and storage facilities reach capacity. Iran, however, has continued to ship crude through the strait without interruption.
