DUBAI/Tel Aviv/BEIRUT – Iran’s huge Pars gas field was hit on Wednesday in the first reported strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure in the Gulf during the U.S.-Israeli war, a major escalation that prompted Tehran to warn its neighbours that their energy installations would be targeted “in the coming hours”.
Pars is the Iranian sector of the world’s largest natural gas deposit, which Iran shares with Qatar across the Gulf. Iran’s Fars news agency reported that gas tanks and parts of a refinery had been hit, workers had been evacuated to a safe location and emergency crews were trying to put out a fire.
The attack was widely reported in Israeli media to have been carried out by Israel with U.S. consent. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Qatar, a close U.S. ally which hosts the largest U.S. airbase in the region, called it an Israeli attack without mentioning any U.S. role. The Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson called it a “dangerous and irresponsible” escalation that put global energy security at risk.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards told Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to evacuate several energy facilities.
“These centres have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours. Therefore, all citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without any delay,” Iranian state media cited authorities as saying.
During three weeks of war, the U.S. and Israel had previously held back from targeting Iran’s energy production facilities in the Gulf, a move that could invite retaliation against other producers and make it harder for global markets to recover from what has already been the biggest ever interruption to energy supplies.
Iran’s warning was directed at Saudi Arabia’s Samref Refinery and Jubail Petrochemical Complex, the UAE’s Al Hosn Gas Field, and Qatar’s Mesaieed Petrochemical Complex, Mesaieed Holding Company and Ras Laffan Refinery.
The Israeli military also hit central Beirut, destroying apartment buildings in some of the most intense airstrikes on the Lebanese capital for decades, on Israel’s other front in the war it launched with the U.S. against Iran.
Israel said on Wednesday it had killed Iran’s intelligence minister and his death was later confirmed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a post on X. It was the second strike on a top leadership figure in two days.
“No one in Iran has immunity and everyone is in the crosshairs,” said Defence Minister Israel Katz, who announced that Israel had killed Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib a day after killing security chief Ali Larijani.
Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the Israeli military “to target any senior Iranian official for whom an intelligence and operational opportunity arises, without the need for additional approval”.
