Iran war: Why is the South Pars gas field so important?

"Israel attacked Iran's South Pars gas field, targeting onshore refinery units and gas storage tanks in Asaluyeh as well as offshore facilities connected to the gas field. In retaliation, Iran quickly hit back with missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar's main energy hub, Ras Laffan Industrial City, the largest liquified natural gas (LNG) export facility in the world."

"The Ras Laffan facility encompasses nearly 300 square kilometers (116 square miles) and sustained 'extensive damage,' according to QatarEnergy, the state-owned company that runs it in partnership with ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies and Shell. It was the first time an actual fossil fuel production site had been hit since the war started on February 28."

"President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he 'knew nothing about this particular attack' but said that Israel would not attack the gas field again unprovoked. At the same time, in an attempt to contain the situation, he warned Iran that the US would 'massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field' if it attacked Qatar again."

On March 18, Israel attacked Iran's South Pars gas field, targeting onshore refinery units and offshore facilities. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world's largest LNG export facility, which sustained extensive damage. This marked the first time actual fossil fuel production sites were targeted since the conflict began on February 28. President Trump stated he was unaware of the Israeli attack but warned Iran against further attacks on Qatar. Both attacks significantly escalated regional tensions and disrupted energy markets, with oil and natural gas prices surging due to concerns about South Pars' critical importance to global energy supply.

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