The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has threatened to “massively blow up” Iran’s South Pars gas field if Tehran fails to halt its attacks on energy infrastructure in Qatar, escalating tensions in the already volatile Middle East conflict.
The warning follows fresh strikes on critical oil and gas installations, which have heightened fears of a prolonged war capable of disrupting global energy supplies.
Focalpoint reports that Crude oil prices rose by about five per cent after the latest round of attacks, as investors reacted to the growing risk of supply disruptions.
The spike comes amid escalating hostilities in the region, with particular concern over threats to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route responsible for transporting roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude.
Tanker movement through the strait has slowed significantly due to fears of Iranian attacks, pushing energy markets into further uncertainty.
Iran has launched a series of retaliatory strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure, including Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility, one of the largest liquefied natural gas facilities in the world.
The attacks reportedly caused extensive damage, though Qatari authorities confirmed that emergency responders were able to contain multiple fires at the facility.
Tehran said the strikes were in retaliation for an earlier Israeli attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field, part of the world’s largest natural gas reservoir shared with Qatar.
Trump Denies US Role, Issues Ultimatum
Reacting in a social media post, Trump denied that the United States had prior knowledge of Israel’s strike on Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Washington “knew nothing” about the attack, he said, while calling for an immediate halt to strikes on both Iranian and Qatari energy facilities.
He further declared that “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL” on Iran’s South Pars gas field if Tehran agrees to stop targeting Qatar.
However, the US President issued a stern warning of military action if Iran fails to comply.
“But if Iran does not comply, the United States would ‘massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field’,” Trump said.
Focalpoint reports that since the outbreak of the conflict on February 28, US and Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted top Iranian officials, significantly weakening the country’s leadership structure.
Among those killed is Iran’s intelligence chief, Esmail Khatib, whose death followed the earlier assassination of senior security figure Ali Larijani.
Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, condemned Khatib’s killing as a “cowardly assassination,” while the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed strong retaliation.
“Every drop of spilt blood comes at a price,” Khamenei said in a written message.
Notably, he has not appeared in public since assuming power following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in the early phase of the war.
The conflict has resulted in heavy casualties across the Middle East.
Thousands of people have reportedly been killed in Iran following sustained US-Israeli strikes, even as Tehran continues to launch missile and drone attacks across the region.
In Israel, an Iranian missile barrage killed a Thai foreign worker, bringing the total death toll in the country to 15, according to Israeli medics and Thailand’s foreign ministry.
In the occupied West Bank, missile debris killed three Palestinian women, the Palestine Red Crescent Society confirmed.
Qatar confirmed that its emergency teams successfully contained fires caused by Iranian missile strikes on the Ras Laffan facility, preventing further escalation.
Saudi Arabia also reported heightened threats to its infrastructure, stating it intercepted drones targeting energy facilities in its eastern region.
Authorities added that debris from a ballistic missile landed near a refinery south of Riyadh, raising fresh concerns about the widening scope of the conflict.
The kingdom warned it reserves the “right to take military actions” in response to such attacks.
The conflict has also spread to Lebanon, where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has intensified rocket attacks against Israel.
In response, Israeli forces launched multiple airstrikes on central Beirut on Wednesday, causing casualties and widespread panic.
Thousands of residents fled affected areas, with long lines of vehicles stretching along the southern coast as people sought refuge in safer locations, including the historic city of Sidon.
A resident, Nidal Ahmad Chokr, recounted the devastation in his village.
“Bakers died while making bread in the village square and municipal workers were martyred while using bulldozers,” the 55-year-old said.
Amid the escalating violence, French President, Emmanuel Macron, said he had held talks with Trump and the Emir of Qatar, urging an immediate halt to attacks on civilian infrastructure.
France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, is scheduled to visit Lebanon, in what officials described as a show of solidarity with the Lebanese people caught in the conflict.
In Iraq, the pro-Iranian armed group Kataeb Hezbollah announced a five-day suspension of attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad.
However, the group set conditions for the ceasefire, including an end to Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and a halt to attacks on residential areas in Iraq.
According to AFP, no drone or rocket fire targeting the US embassy from Wednesday night through Thursday morning, suggesting a temporary pause in hostilities.
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