The President of the United States, Donald Trump, threatened this Wednesday (18), in a publication on the Truth Social network, to order the destruction of the South Pars gas field, in Iran, if the country attacks energy facilities in Qatar again. The statement was made after the Iranian regime launched missiles against the Ras Laffan complex in Doha, the largest liquefied natural gas hub in the world, in retaliation for the attack carried out hours earlier by Israel against structures in South Pars on Iranian territory.
Trump said the attack on South Pars was carried out by Israel without US participation and claimed that Qatar had no involvement in the operation. According to the president, Iran reacted without knowing the facts by targeting energy facilities in Doha. He said there would be no new attacks by Israel against South Pars, “unless Iran attacks an innocent country again, in this case Qatar.”
If the Iranians attack Qatar’s energy facilities again, Trump said the United States could completely destroy the South Pars gas field, using force that, he said, Iran “has never seen before.” The president stated that he would prefer to “avoid escalation to this level” because of the long-term consequences, but declared that he “will not hesitate to authorize the operation” if further attacks occur.
Earlier, state-owned QatarEnergy confirmed that Ras Laffan Industrial City was hit by missiles, causing fires and extensive damage, although no casualties were reported. The Qatari government classified the attack as a direct threat to national security.
The South Pars field, located in southern Iran and shared with Qatar, is the largest natural gas reserve in the world and one of the most strategic areas for global energy supply. Analysts estimate that the exchange of attacks against gas and oil installations increases the risk of an international energy crisis amid the war in the Middle East.
