Attack on a Strategically Important Facility in Iran
According to international media reports, on March 18, Israeli forces, acting in cooperation with the U.S., struck South Pars facilities, resulting in a partial halt in production and damage to infrastructure:gas installations and processing capacities were affected;
up to 12% of Iran's gas production was rendered inoperative;
gas exports to Iraq were suspended.
This field supplies up to 80% of Iran's electricity, making it critically important for the country's economy.
Iran's Response
In response to the strikes, Tehran immediately stated that the energy facilities of neighboring countries had become "direct and legitimate targets."According to Reuters, Iranian authorities also called for the evacuation of personnel from energy facilities in the region ahead of expected attacks.
The next day, reports emerged of strikes near the under-construction nuclear power plant in Bushehr.
Retaliatory Actions Against Gulf Countries
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran declared its readiness to "destroy the oil and gas industry of the Persian Gulf countries" if their energy sector is attacked again.
The Ras Laffan industrial zone. Archive photo Maneesh Bakshi / AP Photo / picture alliance.
Within a day, Iran carried out a series of retaliatory attacks on energy facilities in neighboring countries:
- serious damage was reported at the gas hub "Ras Laffan" in Qatar - the largest liquefied natural gas export center in the world;
- strikes also targeted facilities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, including oil and gas capacities;
- some attacks affected military bases and infrastructure related to the U.S.;
- the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded that the Iranian military attaché and the security attaché leave the country within a day.
Global Risks in the Energy Sector
The escalation of the conflict has triggered reactions in global markets:- oil and gas prices sharply increased following the attacks;
- supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20% of the world's oil passes, are under threat;
- the International Energy Agency had previously warned of the possibility of significant disruptions in oil supplies.
Other Events in the Region
- Iraq faced power supply disruptions due to the cessation of gas supplies from Iran.
- Four Saudi citizens were injured by debris from a ballistic missile intercepted over Riyadh.
- In central Israel, a foreign worker was killed as a result of an Iranian missile strike.
- The British Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by an unknown projectile, leading to a fire on board.
- According to Reuters, the Trump administration is discussing the possibility of sending thousands of soldiers to the Persian Gulf region to provide additional options for the president.
