Iran declared Gulf energy sites “direct and legitimate targets” on Wednesday after Israeli forces struck the South Pars gasfield, the world’s largest natural gas reserve. The Revolutionary Guards named specific facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar and told workers and residents to leave immediately. The announcement sent oil prices surging and raised fears of a catastrophic new phase in the Middle East conflict.
South Pars, shared between Iran and Qatar, has been at the center of Iran’s gas economy for decades. The Israeli attack on the field — carried out with reported US authorization — was the first time Iran’s fossil fuel production had been directly targeted since the war began. Both Washington and Tel Aviv had previously treated Iranian energy infrastructure as a red line, understanding that crossing it could trigger a devastating chain reaction across global energy markets.
Specific targets named by Iran included Saudi Arabia’s Samref refinery and Jubail complex, the UAE’s al-Hosn gasfield, and Qatar’s Mesaieed and Ras Laffan facilities. All personnel were urged to evacuate without delay. Governor Eskandar Pasalar of Asaluyeh condemned the strike as “political suicide” and said the war had entered a full-scale economic phase that Iran had not sought but would not back down from.
The global oil benchmark climbed to $108.60 a barrel, while European gas prices surged more than 7.5%. Gulf oil exports had already fallen 60% from pre-war levels due to sustained infrastructure attacks and Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had continued to export its own crude through the strait unimpeded, widening the economic asymmetry with its Gulf neighbors.
Qatar’s government spokesperson called on all parties to protect energy infrastructure, warning that attacks on these sites would endanger global energy security and regional communities. As Iran’s retaliatory timeline began, global energy markets and diplomatic channels were under enormous strain. The coming hours would test whether the conflict’s energy dimension could be contained — or whether the world was about to witness the most destructive energy war in modern history.
