Iran Attacks Gulf Energy Sites, Defying Trump’s Calls for Restraint
Iran stepped up attacks on energy assets across the Middle East despite U.S. President Donald Trump calling for restraint, with strikes on key oil and gas infrastructure triggering another sharp surge in prices. The Islamic Republic targeted sites in countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates during a wave of drone and missile fire on Thursday, in retaliation for Israel’s assault on Iran’s giant South Pars gas field a day earlier.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that Tehran’s response had used only a “fraction” of its power, adding that the “only reason” for restraint previously was respect for requests to de-escalate. Still, attacks on energy facilities from both sides pushed the conflict closer to the end of its third week with no sign of an imminent ceasefire. Oil and gas prices soared again, while global equities extended losses and bonds fell as investors worried the war will fuel inflation and weaken growth.
Saudi Arabia said a drone struck its Samref refinery on the Red Sea—an important outlet route for the world’s biggest oil exporter with the Strait of Hormuz still effectively shut. Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, home to the world’s largest LNG export plant, suffered “extensive damage” after an Iranian missile strike sparked a fire. The UAE also shut a major gas facility due to falling debris from intercepted missiles.
A Reuters report, citing QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi, said Iran’s strikes on Qatar damaged facilities tied to 17% of the country’s LNG export capacity and could take up to five years to repair. The latest attacks increased the risk that other countries could become drawn into the conflict. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud warned overnight that the kingdom’s restraint isn’t “unlimited,” and it reserves the right to take military action if necessary—adding that the relationship with Tehran has “completely shattered.”
Trump wrote late Wednesday that “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL” related to the South Pars field and urged Iran to show restraint. He also warned that if Iran continues hitting Qatari assets, the U.S. would “massively blow up” the entirety of South Pars. Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump again said the campaign would be over soon and that he has no plans to deploy ground troops.
Energy markets reacted violently. Brent jumped more than 10% to as high as $119 a barrel, near its highest level since 2022. European natural gas surged as much as 35%, more than doubling pre-war levels. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted ballistic missiles fired toward Riyadh, while drones struck two refineries in Kuwait causing fires, according to Kuwait Petroleum. Iraq reported power-generation losses after Iran halted gas supplies from South Pars in the wake of the Israeli attack.
Analysts said Israel’s bombing of South Pars signals a shift toward degrading Iran’s economic infrastructure and curbing its ability to sustain the war. Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said South Pars is central to Iran’s gas supply and therefore to electricity generation and industrial activity—meaning even temporary disruptions can lead to power shortages, industrial slowdowns, and broader economic strain.
Now in its 20th day, the war has claimed more than 4,100 lives across the region, with roughly three quarters in Iran. Dozens have been killed elsewhere in the Middle East, while the U.S. has lost 13 military personnel. Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint for about a fifth of global oil and LNG flows—have so far failed, pushing prices higher and spreading the fallout globally through rising fuel, shipping, and household costs.
In the U.S., gasoline prices have jumped to around $3.88 a gallon on Thursday, the highest level in more than two years, adding political pressure on the Trump administration ahead of November’s midterm elections. Vice President JD Vance called the spike a “temporary blip” and said the administration is working to keep prices lower. Trump also temporarily waived a century-old shipping mandate to reduce domestic transport costs for energy goods, and Vance and other senior officials are expected to meet oil executives on Thursday.
Alongside the Iran war, Israel has intensified its offensive in Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah, adding to a broader regional escalation. The conflict began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Trump has said the operation was launched to neutralize a nuclear threat, claiming Tehran was close to acquiring a weapon—an assertion Iran denies and which many nuclear experts dispute.
Source : Newsmaker.id
