The Iran war has threatened some of the world’s most critical oil and gas infrastructure—the pipelines, refineries, and shipping terminals that keep energy flowing from countries around the Persian Gulf into the global economy.
Iranian drone strikes have disrupted traffic, while the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping due to the risk of Iranian strikes has left about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas nowhere to go.
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Oil fields in countries including Iraq have cut output as supplies fill up. Qatar, a major supplier of liquefied natural gas, has also halted its exports.
“A lot of very critical energy infrastructure has either been forced to shut down due to direct damage from drones and missiles,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, “or because production is effectively shut down due to the shutdown of shipping. We’re already starting to see some of the global consequences.”
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Oil fields in countries including Iraq have cut output as supplies fill up. Qatar, a major supplier of liquefied natural gas, has also halted its exports.
“A lot of very critical energy infrastructure has either been forced to shut down due to direct damage from drones and missiles,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, “or because production is effectively shut down due to the shutdown of shipping. We’re already starting to see some of the global consequences.”
All of this caused prices to skyrocket and make everything that needs fuel more expensive: flying, running factories, transporting goods, and farming. International benchmark Brent crude rose from $72.97 a day before the war broke out to nearly $103 on Monday.
Here’s the key infrastructure that’s at risk and why it’s important:
1. Ras Laffan LNG Terminal, Qatar
The terminal was closed by state-owned Qatar Energy after the drone attack, sending shockwaves through global gas markets as Qatar produces 20% of the world’s liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The company invokes force majeure – in other words, that it is unable to deliver to its contracted customers due to circumstances beyond its control.
A QatarEnergy liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran in the industrial city of Ras Laffan, Qatar, March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer(REUTERS)
Ras Laffan, the world’s largest LNG export facility according to the company’s website, draws gas from the world’s largest stand-alone gas field and cools it until it is liquid for loading into tankers that transport it to customers, primarily in Asia. Buying natural gas in Europe will also feel the pinch, as competition for available cargo will become increasingly fierce.
2. Ras Tanura Port and Refinery, Saudi Arabia
Located in the Persian Gulf northeast of Dammam, it is Saudi Aramco’s largest refinery and a port capable of accommodating large tankers. It was temporarily shut down after the drone’s impact caused a fire.
This satellite image provided by Vantor shows damage after a drone attack on the Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, Monday, March 2, 2026. AP/PTI(AP03_03_2026_000009A)(AP)
3. East-West Oil Pipeline, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco operates this pipeline from the Aqaiq oil processing center near the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, avoiding the Hormuz choke point.
4. Fujairah Oil Terminal, United Arab Emirates
The key terminal for very large oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman is important because it allows Abu Dhabi to export a significant proportion of its oil without sending it through the Strait of Hormuz. That was disrupted by the fight, according to data and analytics firm Rystad Energy. The port company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on its status.
Smoke rises above the Fujairah oil terminal after a fire caused by debris after a drone was intercepted by air defenses, according to the Fujairah media office, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky(REUTERS)
“Iran’s targeting of oil storage in Fujairah is not a coincidence; it is attacking one of the potential diversions of oil that has been trapped in the Persian Gulf,” analyst Soltvedt said.
5. Kharg Island, Iran
A tanker terminal that handled almost all of Iran’s roughly 1.6 million barrels per day of pre-war oil exports, most of which goes to China. Iran reportedly ramped up supplies in the days before the war began. Its operational status is unclear.
A satellite image shows an oil terminal on Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE IS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT(via REUTERS)
6. Leviathan natural gas field, Israel
Israel’s Energy Ministry ordered operator Chevron to shut down the field, located 130 kilometers (80 miles) off the coast of Haifa, due to the security situation. It is the largest natural gas reservoir in the Mediterranean and is a key supplier to Egypt. The shutdown during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June led Egypt to cut gas supplies to industries including fertilizer producers.
7. Southern Iraqi oil fields
Iraq has suspended production of 1.5 million barrels per day at key Rumaila and West Qurna fields due to dwindling supplies. The Rumaila field is a so-called supergiant, meaning it contains more than a billion barrels in reserves.
Rystad Energy reports that Iraq and other Gulf countries are running out of oil storage space, meaning more fields may be shut down. This could cause disruption, as once oil and gas wells are shut down, they may need weeks or months to recover.
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Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens in a few days, “it will take some time to restart production in some of these fields. It’s not a switch that can be turned on and off,” Soltvedt said. “It’s the same for Qatar in terms of their LNG facilities. It will probably take weeks to get some of the facilities back up and running.”
8. Al Basra oil terminal, Iraq
Located 50 kilometers (30 mi) off the coast in the Persian Gulf, this man-made island exports oil worth 80% of Iraq’s annual GDP from the country’s oil fields.
9. Bapco Refinery, Bahrain
The Sitra Island refinery is the backbone of Bahrain’s oil sector, processing supplies from Bahraini fields and delivering them from Saudi Arabia via pipeline. The missile attack halted operations and cut off jet fuel, diesel and other supplies.
