US President Donald Trump expressed surprise at the attack, saying “the United States knew nothing about it,” and denied any involvement. However, according to AP reports, Washington was informed in advance of Israel’s plan to target the offshore gas facility, but did not take part in the operation.

“The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was not involved in it in any way, shape, or form, nor did it have any idea that it was about to happen,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Since launching a large-scale military campaign on February 28, Iran has expanded its retaliation beyond military targets to include oil and gas infrastructure across the region, raising global concerns given the Gulf’s importance to energy supplies.Watch: Iran’s missile hits Qatar’s Ras Laffan, the world’s largest LNG hubThe attack on South Parc is the first time in this conflict that a major fossil fuel production facility has been directly targeted.

What has been targeted in recent days?

On Tuesday, an Iranian drone attack led to the suspension of operations at the Shah gas field in Abu Dhabi. The site produces about 1.28 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day and supplies about 20 percent of the UAE’s gas and 5 percent of the world’s granular sulfur used in fertilizers.On Wednesday, Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field. The field is the largest in the world and is the backbone of Iran’s energy system.

Why does the South Park strike matter?

The South Pars gas field, the largest known in the world, covers approximately 9,700 square kilometers in the Persian Gulf.The damage to South Pars could worsen Iran’s already severe energy shortage. The field contributes up to 70 percent of Iran’s gas production. Initial reports suggest that sections contributing about 12 per cent of total production may have been affected.The attack has also raised fears of wider tensions, with both sides now targeting critical energy infrastructure. Experts have warned that such attacks could have long-term consequences for global energy markets.Oil prices have already risen on concerns of supply disruptions following the strike. Analysts say if production facilities suffer major damage, recovery could take years.According to Guinness World Records, it is estimated to contain approximately 51 trillion cubic meters of gas.Oil prices have already surged following news of the strike, with Brent crude rising more than 5 percent to more than $110 a barrel.The field is shared by Iran and Qatar, with the Qatari side first exploring it in 1971.The attack is also the first reported attack on Iran’s main energy infrastructure.

How is the sector responding?

Iran has warned of further retaliation and listed major oil and gas sites in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as potential targets. An explosion was later reported in Riyadh.Qatar blamed Israel for the attack, calling it a “dangerous and irresponsible” escalation that threatens global energy security. The UAE also warned that the attack threatened both regional stability and global energy supplies.

Why can’t the repairs be done quickly?

Once damage occurs, repair is never easy and the consequences can be lengthy and devastating. Despite its scale and importance, the key question still remains: can the South Pars gas field be repaired quickly?

He claimed that Iran responded without full information, which he described as an unjustified attack on part of Qatar’s LNG infrastructure.Trump warned that unless Iran moved forward targeting Qatar again, Israel would refrain from further attacks on the South Pars region. In such a scenario, he said, the United States would retaliate against the facility with overwhelming force, even without Israeli involvement.While warning that he did not want to authorize destruction on such a large scale because of its long-term consequences, Trump said the US would take decisive action if Qatar’s LNG assets were attacked again.Trump wrote, “Enraged by what has happened in the Middle East, Israel has violently attacked a major facility in Iran called the South Pars Gas Field. A relatively small portion of the total was affected. The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was not involved in it in any way, shape, or form, nor did it have any idea that it was about to happen.”“Unfortunately, Iran was not aware of this or any relevant facts related to the South Pars attack, and it inappropriately and wrongly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG gas facility. There will be no further attacks by Israel on this extremely important and valuable South Pars field, unless Iran makes a foolhardy decision to attack the very innocent, in this case Qatar – in this case the United States, with or without Israel’s help or consent, in full force “The South Pars gas field has such power and strength that Iran has never seen or seen before,” he said. Trump said, “I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of its long-term impact on Iran’s future, but if Qatar’s LNG is attacked again, I would not hesitate to do so. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”Attacks on energy infrastructure have escalated the conflict, with Israel targeting Iran’s South Pars gas field – the world’s largest natural gas reserve – leading to intense tensions with Tehran.Iran condemned the attack, warning of “uncontrollable consequences” and responded by launching missile attacks on energy facilities across the Gulf. Qatar said Iranian missiles struck its liquefied natural gas sites, causing major fires and widespread damage, although no casualties were reported. The country had already halted production in the conflict, and further damage could delay its return to global energy markets.Iran also targeted major oil and gas facilities in the UAE, including the Habshan gas plant and the Bab field, with Abu Dhabi calling the action a “dangerous escalation”. In return, Qatar ordered the Iranian embassy officials to leave within 24 hours.The increasing attacks have increased pressure on Gulf countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, which have so far focused on defense despite repeated attacks on their energy assets, military bases and civilian infrastructure.Global energy markets reacted sharply. Oil prices have surged, with Brent crude up nearly 50% since the conflict began, amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz – a vital shipping route for about a fifth of the world’s oil. Iran has imposed restrictions on transit through the strait, further increasing supply concerns.Meanwhile, Israel has continued to target senior Iranian leadership, including the alleged assassination of Intelligence Minister Ismail Khatib and other top security figures. Iran has retaliated with missile attacks on Israel, including attacks that caused casualties in the occupied West Bank.