In retaliatory attacks for the bombings carried out by the United States and Israel against energy installations on Iranian soil, the Iranian regime launched this Wednesday (18) missiles against energy infrastructures in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, hitting the Ras Laffan industrial complex in Doha, considered the main liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub in the world, and a fuel depot in the Saudi region of Al-Kharj.
According to a statement from the state-owned QatarEnergy, Ras Laffan Industrial City was the direct target of missile attacks, which caused fires and extensive damage to the facilities. The company reported that emergency teams were mobilized immediately and that there are no reports of victims so far.
According to the Qatar Ministry of Interior, the fire caused by the impact was controlled by Civil Defense teams, while the country’s foreign ministry classified the attack as a “flagrant violation of sovereignty” and a direct threat to national security.
In Saudi Arabia, news agencies linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said an attack hit a fuel depot used to fuel military aircraft in the Al-Kharj region, where an important air base is located. American officials later reported that drones were intercepted in the region during the offensive.
The attacks occurred just hours after bombings carried out by Israel and the United States against gas installations in southern Iran, including structures in the South Pars field, one of the largest gas reserves in the world and shared with Qatar.
Before the offensive, Iranian state media had issued evacuation warnings for energy facilities in Gulf countries, indicating that refineries, gas fields and industrial centers could be hit in the hours ahead.
Analysts estimate that the escalation increases the risk of a global crisis in the oil and gas market, already under pressure from the war in the Middle East and restrictions on transport in the Strait of Hormuz, the route through which 20% of the oil sold in the world passes.
