U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly distanced the United States from an Israeli airstrike on Iran’s South Pars natural gas field.
In a statement released late Wednesday via the official White House account on X and his Truth Social platform, he described the Israeli action as Israel having “violently lashed out” at the facility “out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East”.
“The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen.
“Unfortunately, Iran did not know this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility.
The American leader wrote that “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar – In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before,” the statement read.
President Trump warned that any further Iranian strikes on Qatari energy infrastructure would prompt the United States “with or without the help or consent of Israel” to “massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before”.
Trump added that he was reluctant to authorise such “violence and destruction” due to its long-term implications for Iran’s future but affirmed he “will not hesitate” if Qatar’s LNG facilities are targeted again.
QatarEnergy said the Ras Laffan Industrial City was targeted with missiles that caused widespread fires and “extensive damage.
The site was earlier evacuated after Iran said it would target the facility and four others across the Middle East, in retaliation for Israeli and American attacks on the South Pars gas field. The US has now said it played no role in the attack on the Iranian gas field.
Qatar Energy announced in a post on X, early Thursday, that several of its LNG facilities were attacked early on Thursday, causing “sizeable fires and extensive further damage.
The South Pars/North Dome field is the world’s largest natural gas reserve, supplying a substantial portion of Iran’s domestic energy needs and around 20 per cent of global LNG exports via Qatar’s side.
Apart from the retaliatory attack on the gas facilities in Qatar, Iran also targeted two refineries in Saudi Arabia and the Habshan gas facility in Abu Dhabi, which led the UAE to shut down the facility.
The strikes have already driven sharp increases in global energy prices, with oil surging and LNG benchmarks rising amid fears of prolonged supply interruptions.
Meanwhile, no immediate official responses were available from Israel or Iran regarding Trump’s statement.
– IntelRegion
