DUBAI: President Donald Trump pledged that Israel would make no more attacks on Iran's major South Pars gas field, but if Iran attacked Qatar again, the U.S. would retaliate and “massively blow up the entirety” of the field.
Trump made his threat on social media Wednesday night as the war roiled global energy markets and Iranian missiles hit Qatar.
“I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long term implications that it will have on the future of Iran,” Trump said, but added that he would “not hesitate to do so,” if Qatar's liquified natural gas sites were attacked again.
Israel attacked an Iranian offshore natural gas field Wednesday, as the war escalated pressure on the region's economic lifeblood: energy. Iran condemned the strike on its massive South Pars natural gas field, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warning of “uncontrollable consequences" that "could engulf the entire world.”
In retaliation, Iran escalated strikes on its Persian Gulf neighbors' energy facilities, hitting gas facilities in Qatar. Qatar in response ordered Iranian Embassy officials to leave the country within 24 hours.
Tehran also struck the Habshan gas facility and Bab field in the United Arab Emirates, which the government there called a “dangerous escalation” in the Islamic Republic's war against Israel and the United States. Authorities in Abu Dhabi say the gas operations had been shut down after interceptions over the sites.
The attacks on Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are ratcheting up pressure on the Gulf Arab states, which have been defending against Iranian attacks since the war began Feb. 28 but haven't taken any offensive action against Iran as their military bases, civilian sites and energy operations have come under attack.
Iran also attacked Saudi Arabia's vast Eastern Province, home to many of its oil fields, as well as Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The price of oil surged another 5 per cent to over $108 a barrel on international markets as Iran continued to squeeze the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel — through which one-fifth of the world's oil travels. The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, is now up close to 50 per cent since the start of the war.
As the Trump administration looks for ways to boost oil supplies, the Treasury Department eased sanctions on Venezuela Wednesday, saying U.S. companies will be allowed to do business with the country's state-owned oil and gas company.