After major gas field attacked, Iran vows to fully strike US-related oil facilities, Middle East three countries' facilities become attack targets

U.S.-Israel Military Action Enters Day 19, Middle East Energy Facilities Face Increased Risk of Attacks. Iran Announces Full-Scale Response Against U.S.-Related Oil Facilities, Listing Energy Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar as Legitimate Targets. Emergency Evacuations Initiated. International Oil Prices Surge.

On Wednesday, as U.S. stocks hit new highs in early trading, Brent crude approached $110, with a daily increase of about 6.3%; U.S. WTI crude broke $99.40, up approximately 3.3% for the day.

According to CCTV News, on Wednesday, March 18, local time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Commander Tangsiri warned that Iran now treats U.S.-related oil facilities and military bases equally and will retaliate fully. He urged workers and nearby residents to stay away from shelters. Xinhua News Agency cited Iranian media reports that the spokesperson for Iran’s Hatham Anbia Central Headquarters stated that Iran will severely retaliate against attacks targeting its energy infrastructure.

The threat triggered a chain reaction. Reports indicate that Saudi Aramco has begun evacuating facilities at Samref refinery and Jubail; facilities such as the Al Hossn gas field in the UAE and the Mesaieed petrochemical complex in Qatar have also initiated evacuations. Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity announced on Wednesday that Iran’s natural gas supply to Iraq has been completely cut off, directly causing over 3.1 gigawatts (GW) of power generation capacity loss.

Israel attacked Iran’s largest natural gas facility, sharply escalating the situation

Commentators point out that the immediate trigger for this round of tension is Israel’s strike on Iran’s core energy assets.

According to CCTV News, on Wednesday, March 18, Israel’s Defense Forces attacked facilities at the South Pars gas field in Iran’s Khuzestan Province. Israeli officials stated that this facility processes about 40% of Iran’s natural gas and that the attack was coordinated with the United States. Following the attack, Iranian petrochemical facilities in Khuzestan Province, as well as phases 3 to 6 of the South Pars gas refinery, were targeted by U.S.-Israeli drones, with some damage reported.

This marks the first direct strike on Iran’s upstream oil and gas assets in this conflict. Since the conflict erupted earlier this month, official reports indicate that several high-ranking Iranian officials have been killed, including the Iranian Intelligence Minister Ismail Hatif, confirmed this Wednesday.

Qatar strongly condemns Israel’s actions.

According to Xinhua, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ansari said on social media that Israel’s strike on facilities related to the South Pars gas field is a “dangerous and irresponsible act” amid the current regional military escalation.

Ansari emphasized that attacking energy infrastructure threatens global energy security and regional populations and the environment. He called on all parties to exercise restraint, abide by international law, and de-escalate the situation. Notably, the South Pars gas field shares the same reservoir as Qatar’s North Field.

Iran explicitly lists targets for attack; Gulf facilities undergo urgent evacuations

According to CCTV, citing Iranian sources on Wednesday, March 18, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued an emergency warning that oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar have become legitimate targets and will be attacked within hours. They urged residents in those areas to evacuate.

CCTV News reports that Iran warned that if its energy facilities are attacked, all energy infrastructure supporting U.S. and Israeli interests in the region will become Iran’s primary targets.

Iran’s semi-official news agency published a list of planned targets for attack this Wednesday. The facilities include:

• Qatar’s Ras Laffan refinery phases 1 and 2, and the Mesaieed petrochemical complex
• Saudi Arabia’s Samref refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex
• UAE’s Al Hossn gas field

Iranian media quoted officials as saying, “These facilities have become direct legitimate targets and will be attacked within hours.”

Reports indicate that Saudi Aramco has begun preemptive evacuations of the Samref refinery and Jubail facilities, and personnel are also being evacuated from the Al Hossn gas field in the UAE and the Mesaieed petrochemical complex in Qatar.

Analysts note that these targets include several critical natural gas assets. Even though many facilities have suspended operations due to the risk of attack, any significant damage could cause ongoing disruptions to global energy supplies and keep prices high for an extended period.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Iran’s attacks on Gulf countries are intensifying. Since the conflict began on March 12, Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia have increased significantly, with nearly a hundred drones launched toward eastern provinces just this Monday. These regions contain many of Saudi Arabia’s key oil and gas infrastructure. Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry has intercepted the latest attacks.

Gulf oil exports drop by over 60%, putting global energy supplies under pressure

The impact of the conflict on global energy flows is clearly reflected in shipping data.

According to CCTV, citing data from Belgium’s market service provider Kpler, during the week ending March 15, oil exports from eight major Gulf oil-producing countries—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE—averaged about 9.71 million barrels per day, a 61% decrease from the 25.13 million barrels per day exported in February.

Kpler’s data also shows that before the outbreak of hostilities, these eight countries accounted for 36% of global maritime oil exports.

Iraq has been hit particularly hard.

According to CCTV, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity confirmed on Wednesday that Iran’s natural gas supply to Iraq has been completely cut off.

An Iraqi Ministry of Electricity spokesperson, Ahmed Moussa, stated that prior to the cutoff, Iran supplied about 19 million cubic meters of natural gas daily. The loss of this supply has resulted in a reduction of over 3.1 GW of power generation capacity in Iraq.

Trump grants waiver for “Jones Act,” seeking to stabilize domestic energy prices

In response to soaring energy prices, U.S. President Donald Trump announced measures to address the issue.

According to CCTV, on March 18, Trump authorized a 60-day temporary waiver of the “Jones Act,” allowing ships flying foreign flags to transport oil, natural gas, and related products between U.S. ports, aiming to reduce domestic transportation costs.

Reports indicate that the Trump administration characterized this waiver as a measure to ensure the transportation of energy products, safeguard national security, and prevent supply disruptions that could interfere with military operations.

The “Jones Act,” enacted in 1920, was designed to protect the U.S. domestic shipbuilding and shipping industries. It requires that ships transporting goods between U.S. ports be U.S.-built, registered, and crewed by Americans. Analysts note that the waiver is viewed by the U.S. government as a way to help ease the upward pressure on energy prices caused by the military actions against Iran.

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