Amid the escalating conflict in West Asia, Iranian airstrikes on Wednesday caused major destruction at Qatar’s premier gas terminal, hit a Saudi refinery, shut down UAE gas plants and ignited fires at two Kuwaiti fuel hubs.
Tehran’s retaliation for Israeli strikes against its domestic gas infrastructure represents a major escalation in the three-week-old conflict.
Aramco-Exxon refinery hit
A drone hit the Aramco-Exxon SAMREF refinery on Thursday, according to the Saudi Defense Ministry, which noted that the damage was currently being assessed. Authorities also neutralized a ballistic missile aimed at Yanbu, a port city serving as the primary gateway for oil exports to Saudi Arabia and home to a refinery.
Kuwaiti refineries were the target
Similarly, drone strikes hit operational units at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s Mina Abdullah and Mina al-Ahmadi refineries, sparking fires at both locations, Kuwait’s official news agency reported.
‘Extensive damage’ at Qatar LNG facility
State-owned QatarEnergy said on Wednesday that Iranian missile attacks on Ras Laffan, the nation’s central LNG processing hub, had caused “extensive damage” while the UAE disabled gas operations after the missiles were shot down early Thursday.
The Iranian maneuvers, which drew a sharp response from US President Donald Trump, came shortly after Tehran ordered the evacuation of several oil sites in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar following attacks on its own energy hubs in Asaluyeh and South Pars.
QatarEnergy, the world’s second-largest LNG supplier, said rescue teams were immediately dispatched to deal with the fires caused by the strike.
By early Thursday, all fires in Ras Laffan had been extinguished with no reported casualties, Qatar’s interior ministry confirmed.
Located 80 km north of Doha, Ras Laffan serves as a vital energy corridor that hosts several global firms, including Shell, the world’s leading LNG trader.
“We are currently assessing any potential impact on any asset operated or used by Shell in Ras Laffan Industrial City and will provide further information in due course,” a Shell spokesperson said. Reuters.
Shell subsequently announced that the Pearl GTL plant had been damaged, noting that the fire was quickly extinguished and the site is now secure while damage assessment continues with QatarEnergy and local officials.
QatarEnergy said the Pearl gas processing facility suffered extensive damage. Several LNG facilities were hit by rocket attacks in the early hours of Thursday, causing “extensive fires” and other damage, the agency said.
Qatar produces 77 million metric tons of LNG per year for global energy and industrial use. The Laffan facility refines condensate primarily into specialty products such as jet fuel.
Taking to social media, Trump warned Iran against further targeting Qatar’s LNG sites and threatened to “massively blow up the entire South Pars gas field” if the provocations continued. He claimed that Israel struck South Pars without informing Qatar or Washington. Qatar’s foreign ministry responded by ordering Iran’s military and security attachés to depart within 24 hours, labeling them “persona non grata”.
In an official statement, the ministry condemned the raid in Ras Laffan as a “direct threat” to Qatar’s national security and accused Tehran of an “irresponsible approach”.
Gas plants in the United Arab Emirates have been shut down
Across the UAE, officials said they were managing incidents at the Bab oil field and Habshan gas fields caused by shrapnel from intercepted projectiles. The gas plants were deactivated and there were no injuries, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported. The Habshan hub, operated by state-owned ADNOC, ranks among the world’s largest gas processing hubs and includes five plants with a combined daily capacity of 6.1 billion standard cubic feet, according to ADNOC data.
