In a dramatic escalation of Middle East hostilities, Iran threatened to unleash retaliatory strikes on major energy installations across the Gulf region following an Israeli attack on its prized South Pars gasfield. The Revolutionary Guards announced that facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar had become “direct and legitimate targets.” Residents and workers near those sites were ordered to evacuate without delay.
South Pars, the world’s largest natural gas reserve shared between Iran and Qatar, was struck by Israeli missiles in what state media described as a coordinated US-Israeli operation. The attack represented a significant policy shift — both Washington and Tel Aviv had previously stopped short of targeting Iranian energy infrastructure to avoid triggering a catastrophic spike in global oil prices. That restraint appeared to be over.
Iran’s state broadcaster identified specific targets including the Samref refinery, Jubail complex, al-Hosn gasfield, Mesaieed petrochemical complex, and the Ras Laffan refinery. The governor of Asaluyeh, the region encompassing South Pars, called the attack “political suicide” and declared that a full-scale economic war had begun. The language used by Iranian officials was among the most confrontational since the conflict erupted.
Global energy markets responded immediately. Brent crude climbed toward $110 a barrel, while Europe’s gas benchmark surged more than 7.5%. Oil exports from the Gulf had already cratered by 60% from pre-war levels as a result of sustained drone and missile strikes and Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The South Pars strike raised fears that the remaining flow could be further disrupted.
Qatar’s government condemned any targeting of energy infrastructure as a threat to global stability and called for de-escalation. Yet with Iran naming specific facilities and issuing evacuation orders, the prospect of wider conflict across Gulf energy networks had never felt more real. Energy analysts warned the world may be entering uncharted territory for oil and gas supply disruption.