President Donald Trump has cautioned against further strikes on key gas facilities in the Middle East, following a fresh wave of attacks that have rattled the region’s energy sector.
In a statement released early Thursday, Trump distanced the United States from Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, saying US had no role in the operation.
He described the attack as a reaction to rising tensions but stressed that it should not be repeated.
He also issued a stern warning to Iran after its retaliatory strikes targeted major energy facilities in Qatar.
Trump said any further attack on Qatar’s gas infrastructure could provoke a strong response from the United States.
The situation escalated after missiles hit installations in Ras Laffan Industrial City, one of the world’s most important liquefied natural gas hubs.
The strikes triggered fires and caused significant damage to the facilities.
State-owned QatarEnergy confirmed that several of its LNG plants were affected, forcing a shutdown of operations.
The company has since declared force majeure, meaning it may not be able to meet its supply commitments to international buyers.
The facility had been evacuated earlier after Iran warned it would target energy sites across the region in response to attacks on its own gas infrastructure.
The fallout spread beyond Qatar, with Iran also striking two refineries in Saudi Arabia and a major gas facility in Abu Dhabi.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates were forced to shut down operations at the affected site.
The latest developments are expected to worsen an already fragile global energy market. With supply disruptions looming, analysts warn that gas and fuel prices could rise further in the coming weeks.
The conflict, which intensified after earlier strikes involving the U.S. and Israel in late February, has reportedly claimed more than 1,500 lives, most of them in Iran.
There has been no official response yet from Tehran on whether it will scale back its attacks, leaving fears that tensions in the region could escalate even further.
