Iran put the Gulf region on its highest energy-sector alert on Wednesday, warning that retaliatory strikes on Saudi, Emirati, and Qatari energy facilities were imminent following an Israeli assault on the South Pars gasfield. The Revolutionary Guards issued evacuation orders and named specific targets. The proclamation sent oil prices surging and sparked fears of a sweeping energy infrastructure war across the Gulf.
South Pars is a colossus of the global gas industry — the world’s largest natural gas reserve, shared between Iran and Qatar. Until Wednesday, it had remained untouched by the conflict despite months of hostilities. Israel’s decision to strike the field, reportedly with US backing, shattered that equilibrium and set off an immediate chain of escalatory threats that brought the region to the edge of a new crisis.
Named targets included Saudi Arabia’s Samref refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex, the UAE’s al-Hosn gasfield, and Qatar’s Mesaieed and Ras Laffan facilities. Iranian state media called on all residents, citizens, and employees in those areas to evacuate without delay. Provincial Governor Eskandar Pasalar said the attack had crossed a critical line and that Iran’s response would match the scale of the provocation.
Oil markets reflected the gravity of the moment. Brent crude rose nearly 5% to $108.60 per barrel, within reach of $110. European natural gas futures jumped more than 7.5%. Gulf oil exports had already been slashed by 60% from pre-war levels, a consequence of infrastructure damage and Iran’s Strait of Hormuz blockade. A wave of Iranian strikes on Gulf energy facilities could push the global energy system into crisis.
Qatar’s government spokesperson Majid al-Ansari issued a formal warning against any attacks on energy infrastructure, calling them a threat to global energy security and the lives of people across the region. The conflict had clearly entered a new and more dangerous phase. With specific targets named, timeframes set, and oil prices spiking, the world faced the prospect of a broader energy war with far-reaching economic consequences.
