Qatar warns Iran war could halt Gulf energy exports ‘within weeks’

Global economies will be affected if the war on Iran continues for weeks, according to Qatar’s energy minister.Published On 6 Mar 2026Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi has said exports from the Gulf region could come to a halt “within weeks” if the war on Iran continues to escalate, throwing global energy markets into turmoil.Al-Kaabi told The Financial Times (FT) newspaper in an interview published on Friday that if the war continues for weeks, “GDP growth around the world will be impacted”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Tehran hit by heavy bombing on day seven of US-Israel war on Iranlist 2 of 3More than 120 killed in Israel’s Lebanon attacks as Beirut, south, east hitlist 3 of 3Huge explosion seen in Tehran as strikes on Iran continueend of list“Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher. There will be shortages of some products and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply,” al-Kaabi was quoted as saying.Qatar on Monday halted liquefied natural gas (LNG) production as Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones at the country and its Gulf neighbours in response to attacks by the United States and Israel, which began on Saturday.The Iranian attacks have increasingly targeted energy infrastructure, driving a jump in gas prices and raising alarm around the world.Qatar’s LNG production is equivalent to about 20 percent of global supply and plays a key role in balancing Asian and European markets’ demand for the product.“Everybody that has not called for force majeure we expect will do so in the next few days that this continues,” al-Kaabi told the FT, referring to a provision that frees companies from liability or obligations in the case of extraordinary events.“All exporters in the Gulf region will have to call force majeure,” he said.The minister also said that, even if the war ended immediately, it would take Qatar “weeks to months” to return to a normal cycle of deliveries.