Iran signaled it was ready to widen the conflict significantly on Wednesday, publicly naming energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar as targets for imminent retaliation after Israeli forces struck the South Pars gasfield. The Revolutionary Guards issued specific evacuation orders and said the named sites were “direct and legitimate targets.” The announcement sent shock through diplomatic circles and financial markets alike.
South Pars holds more natural gas than any other field in the world and has been a cornerstone of Iran’s economic output for decades. The Israeli strike on the field — carried out with reported US consent — broke a fragile but important precedent of leaving Iranian energy infrastructure untouched. The decision appeared calculated to weaken Iran’s economic position, but it also triggered a response that threatened to devastate energy infrastructure across the wider Gulf region.
Saudi Arabia’s Samref refinery and Jubail complex, the UAE’s al-Hosn gasfield, and Qatar’s Mesaieed complex and Ras Laffan refinery were all identified as threatened. Iran’s state broadcaster made the warnings public and direct, calling on all personnel to vacate immediately. Iran’s Asaluyeh governor, Eskandar Pasalar, called the US-Israeli strike “political suicide” and said the conflict had entered a full-scale economic phase.
Oil climbed toward $110 a barrel, while European gas prices jumped over 7.5%. The broader energy picture was already dire — Gulf oil exports had fallen 60% from pre-war levels, the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively blockaded by Iran, and multiple oil facilities in Iraq and the UAE had been previously hit by Iranian drones and missiles. The threat of further strikes deepened concerns about a prolonged global energy supply crisis.
Qatar’s spokesperson Majid al-Ansari warned that attacking energy infrastructure posed a clear danger to global energy security, as well as to the people and environment of the region. The international community called for restraint, but with Iran’s clock running down and specific targets announced, the situation left little room for optimism. The next chapter of the war appeared to hinge on whether Iran would follow through on its most explicit and detailed threat yet.