Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ Iran’s largest gas field as Gulf energy war explodes
Trump denies US involvement in Israel’s attack on the South Pars gas field that prompted Iran to target energy facilities across the Gulf
US President Donald Trump said an angry Israel had “violently lashed out” and attacked Iran’s major gas field, a significant escalation in the US-Israeli war, but said Israel would not make further such attacks unless Iran retaliated.
Wednesday’s attack on the huge South Pars gas field prompted Iran to target energy facilities across the Gulf including the world’s largest gas plant in Qatar, a refinery in Saudi Arabia, gas facilities in the United Arab Emirates and refineries in Kuwait.
The escalation heightens the unprecedented disruption of global energy supplies that has raised the political stakes for Trump. Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked to US$114 a barrel as global fears of an energy crisis rose, up more than 57 per cent since Israel and the United States started the war February 28 with strikes on Iran.
On Thursday, a drone fell on the Aramco-Exxon refinery, SAMREF, the Saudi defence ministry said, adding damage was being assessed.
03:29
US-Israel war on Iran is as reckless and catastrophic as it is stupid and illegal
It also intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards Yanbu, the port city that is currently Saudi Arabia’s only outlet for crude exports and where the refinery is located.