Iran threatens to strike Gulf energy facilities after South Pars attack

Qatar foreign ministry spokesman slams Israeli attack on Iran’s offshore gasfield as ‘dangerous, irresponsible step’.Iran has threatened to attack oil and gas facilities in the Gulf region in retaliation for an Israeli strike on its South Pars gasfield as the fallout from the United States-Israeli war on the country continues to escalate.In a statement shared by Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday, Iranian authorities said five facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar “will be targeted in the coming hours”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Not just energy: How the Iran war could trigger a global food crisislist 2 of 3How Iran defied Trump threats to emerge as Strait of Hormuz gatekeeperlist 3 of 3Iran war: What is happening on day 19 of US-Israel attacks?end of listThe facilities are Saudi Arabia’s SAMREF refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex, the UAE’s Al Hosn gasfield, and Qatar’s Ras Laffan refinery and Mesaieed petrochemical complex and holding company.The threat comes after Iranian state media reported that natural gas facilities associated with its offshore South Pars field – the largest gasfield in the world, located off the coast of southern Iran’s Bushehr province – were attacked.In a statement shared by Tasnim, Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum said a number of facilities were damaged but no casualties were immediately reported. Iranian state media also reported that a fire at the gasfield was under control.Quoting unnamed sources, Israeli media reported that the country’s air force carried out the attack.Israel and the US have carried out strikes on a range of targets across Iran, including oil facilities, since the war began on February 28.Retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attacks on countries in the wider Middle East, including on Arab Gulf states, have also continued despite growing concerns over the conflict’s widening impact on global energy markets.