Iran blames Israel for gas field attack, fires missiles at Qatar and Saudi energy facilities

Iran accused Israel of striking ​its facilities in the huge South Pars gas field yesterday (18 March) in a major escalation in the US-Israeli war that sent oil prices shooting higher, and retaliated by vowing attacks on oil and gas targets throughout ‌the Gulf, firing missiles at Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Qatar's state oil giant QatarEnergy reported "extensive damage" after the Ras Laffan Industrial City, an energy-industry hub, was hit by Iranian missiles.

Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh yesterday and an attempted drone attack on a gas facility in the east of the country.

South Pars is the Iranian sector of the world's largest natural gas deposit, which Iran shares with Qatar, a close US ally, across the Gulf.

Qatar's foreign ministry rebuked Israel for a "dangerous and irresponsible" attack on Iran's South ​Pars facilities, and denounced Iran for what it called "a flagrant breach" of international law, expelling two senior Iranian diplomats.

The escalation adds to the unprecedented disruption of global energy supplies that has raised the political stakes for US President Donald Trump, who ​joined Israel in attacking Iran nearly four weeks ago.

Diesel prices in the US have already risen above $5 a gallon for the first time since the 2022 inflation surge that eroded support ⁠for his predecessor, Joe Biden.

The conflict quickly spread to neighboring countries and has already halted shipping from the world's most important energy-producing region, and could now bring lasting damage to its infrastructure.

Benchmark Brent crude prices rose around 5% to above $108. Stock ​markets veered lower.

In Washington, US spy chief Tulsi Gabbard told Congress Iran's government has been degraded since the war began on 28 February, but it appears to be intact, with Iran and its proxies still capable of attacking US military bases and other interests it ​has in the Middle East.

US producer prices increased by the most in seven months in February, driven by higher costs for services and a range of goods, and could accelerate further as the war boosts oil prices.

Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack on South Pars.

According to the Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed US officials, Trump knew of Israel's plan to attack the gas field in advance and supported it.

Iran's Fars news agency reported that gas tanks and parts of a refinery had been hit. It said workers had been evacuated ​and state media later said the fire there was under control.

Iran listed several prominent regional oil and gas facilities it called "direct and legitimate targets", all in nearby states that host US military bases: Saudi Arabia's Samref Refinery and Jubail Petrochemical Complex, the ​UAE's Al Hosn Gas Field, and Qatar's Mesaieed Petrochemical Complex, Mesaieed Holding Company and Ras Laffan.

It said they should be evacuated at once before its missiles fell.

The US and Israel had previously held back from targeting Iran's energy production facilities in the Gulf, averting Iranian retaliation ‌against the oil ⁠and gas industries of its neighbours. International law forbids states from attacking civilian energy infrastructure.

France's President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke with the emir of Qatar and Trump today (19 March) and called for a "moratorium on strikes targeting civilian infrastructure", especially water and energy facilities.

Iran has already effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply, but consuming nations have hoped the disruption would prove short-lived as long as production infrastructure was spared.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke by phone yesterday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and said safe passage through the Strait was a priority for Europe and that the EU supports a diplomatic solution to the war.

'Everyone is in the crosshairs'

The Israeli military also hit central Beirut, destroying ​apartment buildings in some of the most intense airstrikes ​on the Lebanese capital for decades.

Israel killed Iran's intelligence ⁠minister Esmail Khatib yesterday, a day after killing powerful security chief Ali Larijani.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said "no one in Iran has immunity and everyone is in the crosshairs."

He and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the Israeli military "to target any senior Iranian official for whom an intelligence and operational opportunity arises, without the need for additional approval."

In Tehran, thousands appeared in ​the streets for a funeral for Larijani and other slain figures.

Iran has retaliated by firing cluster missiles at Israel, which are harder to cleanly intercept.

Shortly after midnight ​today, Israel's ambulance service said ⁠a foreign national had died in Adanim in central Israel after an Iranian missile attack, bringing the death toll in Israel to at least 15 people.

Yesterday also saw the first deadly strike in the Israeli-occupied West Bank: three Palestinian women were killed after an Iranian missile attack, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Death toll mounts across region

In central Beirut's Bachoura district, Israel warned residents early yesterday to leave a building it said was used by Hezbollah, which it then completely flattened.

Abu Khalil, who lives in the area, ⁠said he had ​helped people flee nearby homes after the Israeli warning. "It's just an operation to hurt, to terrify people, to terrify children," he told Reuters.

US-based Iran ​human rights group HRANA said on Monday that an estimated 3,000-plus people had been killed in Iran since the US-Israeli attacks began on 28 February.

Authorities in Lebanon say 900 people have been killed there and 800,000 forced to flee their homes.

Iranian attacks have killed people in Iraq and across the ​Gulf states.

At least 13 US military service members have been killed so far.