Iran has vowed retaliation after reported Israeli strikes hit Iran’s section of the world’s largest gas field in a major escalation of the war, sending oil prices up again.
Iran’s huge Pars fields were hit in the first reported strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure in the Gulf during the US-Israeli military action.
Pars is the Iranian sector of the world’s largest natural gas deposit, which Iran shares with Qatar.
Iran swiftly vowed to strike back at oil facilities across the Gulf and warned Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to evacuate energy targets.
The gas field attack was widely reported in Israeli media to have been carried out by Israel with US consent.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported that gas tanks and parts of a refinery had been hit on Wednesday (local time), workers were evacuated and emergency crews had to put out a fire.
Qatar, a close US ally that hosts the largest US airbase in the region, called it a “dangerous and irresponsible” escalation that put global energy security at risk.
The US and Israel had previously held back from targeting Iran’s energy production facilities in the Gulf.
The Middle East situation has already caused the biggest interruption to energy supplies the world has seen. But, nearly three weeks, into the war there has been no sign of de-escalation.
Oil prices leapt to nearly $US110 a barrel after the attack.
The unprecedented disruption to global energy supplies has raised the political stakes for US President Donald Trump.
Diesel prices in the US rose above $US5 a gallon for the first time since the 2022 inflation surge that eroded support for his predecessor Joe Biden.
