Israeli warplanes have struck key gas infrastructure in southern Iran, hitting facilities at the giant South Pars field and the nearby petrochemical complex in Asaluyeh, officials from both sides have confirmed. The attack, which took place on Wednesday, marks the first reported strike on Iran’s upstream energy sector since the current conflict escalated.
Iranian state television reported that “parts of the gas facilities located in the South Pars Special Economic Energy Zone in Asaluyeh were struck by projectiles fired by the American-Zionist enemy.” Explosions were heard at multiple refinery sites, with gas storage tanks and processing infrastructure in phases three, four, five and six reportedly damaged. Firefighting teams were dispatched to contain blazes, employees were evacuated, and some facilities were shut down to prevent the fire from spreading.
An Israeli official told local media that the Air Force targeted Iran’s largest gas processing facility in Bushehr Province, with the strike carried out “in coordination with the United States and with its approval.” No casualties have been reported so far.
The South Pars/North Dome field is the world’s largest known gas reserve and supplies about 70 per cent of Iran’s domestic natural gas. Production at two refineries in Asaluyeh, with a combined capacity of roughly 100 million cubic metres per day, has been halted after the strikes. Iranian gas exports to Iraq have also been affected.
The strikes triggered sharp rises in global energy prices. Brent crude oil climbed as much as 6.1 per cent to $109.75 a barrel, while European natural gas futures surged up to 9.1 per cent. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded by publishing a list of energy sites in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that it described as “direct and legitimate targets,” warning residents to stay away. Sites including Qatar’s Ras Laffan refinery and Saudi Arabia’s Jubail petrochemical complex were evacuated as a precaution.
Qatar, which shares the South Pars field with Iran, condemned the strikes as “dangerous and irresponsible.”
The attack comes amid a massive escalation in the Middle East conflict, with energy infrastructure increasingly being targeted by the both sides. Iranian officials have vowed retaliation, while Israeli sources described the operation as a targeted blow to Tehran’s energy capabilities.
