Donald Trump
Iran has expanded its strikes on major energy facilities in the Middle East. Gulf states have called it a dangerous escalation that threatens to draw them into direct hostilities with Tehran, euronews.com wrote.
On Wednesday, Tehran retaliated against neighboring Qatar’s largest gas field, Ras Laffan, in response to an attack on the South Pars gas field. Doha reported “significant damage” and declared the military and security personnel of the Iranian embassy persona non grata.
The strikes came after an Israeli attack killed Iran’s intelligence minister and hit Iran’s largest natural gas field in the world.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates condemned the Iranian attacks on their gas fields, while Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the attacks on the kingdom meant that “what little trust there was before has been completely shattered.”
It remains unclear what steps the Gulf Arab states might take militarily, as they have been careful not to engage in hostilities with the U.S. and Israel.
Although Israel has not announced an attack on the South Pars gas field, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz promised more “surprises” when he announced the assassination of Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.
Iran condemned the strike on South Pars, and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian warned of “uncontrollable consequences” that “could engulf the entire world.”
US President Donald Trump pointed to Israel as apparent confirmation that Israel was indeed behind the attack, which he said was motivated by “anger over what has happened in the Middle East” and struck a “relatively small section” of the field.
Trump, in a post on the Truth Social website, was quick to deny any U.S. involvement or prior knowledge of the attack.
“The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was not involved in any way, shape, or form and had no idea it was going to happen,” the US president wrote.
Trump noted that Iran was unaware of the facts surrounding the attack before retaliatory strikes on Qatar, a US ally in the region. He also condemned the strikes on Doha’s energy infrastructure, calling them “unjustified” and “unfair.”
He also vowed that “Israel will not attack this extremely important and valuable South Pars field again.”
Trump demanded that Iran stop attacking regional energy facilities and threatened that otherwise Iran would face the wrath of the U.S. military, which he said would cause damage with “long-term consequences.”
“The United States of America, with or without Israel’s help or consent, will blow up the entire South Pars gas field with a force and power like Iran has never seen or witnessed before,” Trump wrote.
“I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long-term consequences it will have on Iran’s future, but if LNG Qatar is attacked again, I will not hesitate to do so.”
The attacks further exacerbate the unfolding global oil price crisis as energy exports continue to be blocked by Tehran, which keeps the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of oil supplies pass, effectively closed.
Before the attack, the price of Brent crude was hovering around the $100 a barrel mark, already 40 percent above pre-war levels. After the attack on the energy fields of Iran and Qatar, the price soared to 108 dollars per barrel.
The U.S. and Israel continue to launch heavy daily strikes against Tehran, prompting Iranian retaliation against Israel and other countries in the region, particularly the Gulf Arab states.
Israeli attacks are also intensifying in neighboring Lebanon, where the IDF daily strikes targets linked to the Iranian-backed radical Shiite group Hezbollah.
According to Iranian authorities, some 1,450 people have been killed so far and more than 18,500 others have been wounded.
In Israel, 17 people have been killed and nearly 4,000 wounded since the war began on Feb. 28. On Wednesday night in Israel, Iranian missile strikes killed a foreign worker in central Israel. Three women were victims of an Iranian strike in the Palestinian West Bank province of Hebron, with 13 people injured. Iran again used ballistic missiles with cluster munitions for the strike. According to Israel’s military, about half of the ballistic missiles launched by Iran since the start of the current war have been equipped with such warheads. Tehran has acknowledged the use of these weapons.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said in its latest figures that Israeli strikes have killed 912 people.
Iranian attacks on Persian Gulf countries have resulted in 21 deaths. Thirteen U.S. military personnel have died.
