Iran dramatically stepped up the conflict on Wednesday by placing the Gulf’s most critical energy infrastructure in its crosshairs, threatening attacks on facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar following Israeli strikes on the South Pars gasfield. The Revolutionary Guards issued a direct and time-specific warning, calling for immediate evacuation of named facilities. Oil markets surged on the news, with the global benchmark approaching $110 a barrel.
The South Pars gasfield holds the world’s largest reserves of natural gas and has been the backbone of Iran’s energy exports for decades. Israel’s strike on the field, conducted with reported US consent, was the first direct attack on Iranian fossil fuel production since the war began. It shattered an implicit agreement that had kept energy infrastructure on both sides largely off the battlefield.
Iran named the Samref refinery and Jubail complex in Saudi Arabia, al-Hosn gasfield in the UAE, and Mesaieed and Ras Laffan in Qatar as imminent targets. “All citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately leave these areas,” state media said. The governor of Asaluyeh, home to South Pars, said the attack had turned the conflict into a “full-scale economic war” and called it an act of “political suicide” by the US and Israel.
Oil climbed to $108.60 a barrel — close to $110 — while European gas prices jumped more than 7.5%. These market moves came on top of weeks of disruption: Gulf oil exports had already collapsed by 60% from pre-war levels due to ongoing strikes and Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had maintained its own crude shipments while blocking those of its Gulf neighbors.
Qatar’s government spokesperson Majid al-Ansari cautioned that targeting energy infrastructure endangered global energy security and the region’s population and environment. The international community watched nervously as Iran’s self-imposed deadline approached. With specific targets named and evacuation orders in effect, the events of the coming hours were expected to carry lasting consequences for global energy markets and regional stability.
