Qatar has requested that Iranian diplomatic staff depart the country, escalating tensions in the Gulf region following an Israeli strike on a key Iranian gas field and retaliatory actions by Tehran. The move comes as Iran has threatened attacks on energy facilities across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, raising concerns about wider regional instability.
On Wednesday, QatarEnergy reported “extensive damage” to its facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City after being struck by Iranian missiles. According to a statement, all personnel at the site were accounted for, and a fire was brought under control. Ras Laffan is home to the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing facility.
The Qatari government described the Iranian attack as “brazen” and a “direct threat to its national security and the stability of the region.” “The Iranian side continues its escalatory policies that are pushing the region toward the abyss and drawing in countries that are not parties to this crisis into the circle of conflict,” the ministry said in a statement.
The developments follow a strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, which it shares with Qatar. Israeli media reported that Israel carried out the attack, though its military has not officially confirmed this. Oil prices rose to nearly $110 a barrel after the strike on South Pars, according to the BBC.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened counterstrikes on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, as reported by The Guardian. Specifically, Iranian state media identified Saudi Arabia’s Samref refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex, the UAE’s al-Hosn gasfield, and Qatar’s Mesaieed as potential targets.
Qatar has given the staff at the Iranian embassy, including military and security attachés, 24 hours to leave the country, according to reports from CNN Arabic and Al Jazeera. The move signals a significant deterioration in relations between the two countries.
This escalation of conflict in the Middle East began after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28th. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf. Israel is also engaged in conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, where over a million people have been displaced. The situation underscores growing regional tensions and the potential for further escalation.
