"It remains unclear what precisely the Trump administration expected from this conflict—perhaps not least to the White House itself—but it is certain that the president was not paying heed when people described the likely consequences. On Wednesday, a reckless war saw another dramatic escalation when Israel bombed the South Pars gasfield, which Iran shares with Qatar."
"A battered Iran is seeking to restore deterrence. It retaliated with more strikes across the region, causing significant damage to a Qatari facility that normally supplies a fifth of the world's liquified natural gas (LNG). It now threatens zero restraint if its infrastructure is attacked again."
"QatarEnergy said that it might have to excuse itself from long-term contract obligations to Italy and Belgium, as well as South Korea and China—warning that it could take up to five years to fully restore production. European leaders, already angry at the US's lifting of sanctions on Russian oil, now face rocketing gas prices too."
The Trump administration pursued military action against Iran without apparent consideration of consequences, adopting a "decapitate and delegate" foreign policy approach. Israel bombed Iran's South Pars gasfield, shared with Qatar, despite Trump's denial of US involvement—contradicted by administration officials and Israeli sources indicating US coordination. The attack aimed to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz but instead escalated the conflict. Iran retaliated with strikes damaging Qatari LNG facilities, threatening global energy supplies. QatarEnergy warned of potential five-year production delays affecting long-term contracts with Italy, Belgium, South Korea, and China. European leaders face rising gas prices while American regional allies express increasing concern about the destabilizing consequences.
#us-iran-conflict #energy-security #middle-east-escalation #global-lng-supply-crisis #regional-instability
Read at www.theguardian.com
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