Iran has struck the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export facility in Qatar after threatening to hit key sites across the Gulf.
Officials in Qatar said the missile strike on Wednesday had caused a fire at the Ras Laffan gas facility and warned the attack had caused “extensive damage”.
QatarEnergy, the state-owned oil and gas company, said the site had been subject to a missile strike.
“Emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the resulting fires, as extensive damage has been caused. All personnel have been accounted for and no casualties have been reported at this time,” it said on X.
The price of oil surged to over $110 a barrel following the missile strike on the gas facility.
Ras Laffan is responsible for about one-fifth of global LNG supplies. The site was previously struck by Iran in the early days of the war.
The attack came just hours after Tehran said it would target energy infrastructure across the Gulf following a US-Israeli attack on its own gas facilities.
Donald Trump does not want any further strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The US President’s opposition comes after Israel’s attack on the South Pars gas field in Iran on Wednesday.
Mr Trump, who was aware of the Israeli strike on South Pars in beforehand, supported the attack as a message to Tehran over its closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The narrow water passage has been effectively closed since conflict in the Middle East broke out.
US officials told the Wall Street Journal that Trump could be open to attacks on Iran’s energy facilities in the future but it would depend on Tehran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz.