Iran has launched retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf, triggering major fires at Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities and deepening tensions in an already volatile region, according to reports by Al Jazeera.
State-owned QatarEnergy said “sizeable fires” broke out at several LNG sites following missile strikes in the early hours of Friday. The attacks came just days after a previous strike on Ras Laffan Industrial City that caused extensive damage to the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) facility.
The company confirmed that emergency response teams were immediately deployed and no casualties have been reported so far, although “extensive further damage” has been recorded at key installations.
The strikes are seen as part of a wider escalation, with Iran targeting Gulf energy assets in response to recent attacks on its own facilities, including Israel’s strike on the South Pars gas field , the world’s largest.
Qatar has reacted with visible anger, as the latest attacks mark a serious breach of regional stability and threaten critical global energy supplies. The targeting of LNG infrastructure vital to international markets —has raised alarm among Gulf states already on edge.
The escalation also casts a shadow over recent diplomatic efforts, including the Iran-Saudi normalisation agreement brokered by China just a few years ago. Analysts warn that the latest developments signal a dangerous shift, with Gulf nations now facing direct fallout from the widening conflict.
Donald Trump criticises the Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars facility
US President Donald Trump criticised the Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars facility, suggesting it had triggered Tehran’s retaliation across the region. In a statement, he said the United States had no prior knowledge of the attack and stressed that Qatar was not involved, calling Iran’s response “unjustified.”
Regional analysts say frustration is growing within Gulf countries over Iran’s actions. Saudi-based political analyst Khaled Batarfi described the mood as one of anger, shock and disappointment.
“We tried our best in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region to prevent this escalation,” he said, noting that Iran had previously relied on regional intermediaries, including Oman, to communicate with the United States.
Batarfi also questioned Iran’s apparent focus on targeting neighbouring countries rather than its primary adversaries, suggesting internal shifts in Tehran’s leadership and decision-making may be driving the escalation.
With Iran now deeply entrenched in a broader conflict, observers warn that further retaliatory strikes on energy infrastructure could destabilise global markets and push the Gulf region into a more dangerous phase of confrontation.
