DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) 鈥� Iran broadened its strikes on major energy facilities in the Middle East, eliciting strong warnings Thursday from Gulf Arab states that called it a dangerous escalation that threatened to draw them into direct combat with Tehran.
The strikes come after Israel killed Iran鈥檚 intelligence minister and reportedly attacked the world鈥檚 largest natural gas field in Iran as the war on the region鈥檚 economic lifeblood: energy.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all denounced the Iranian attacks targeting their natural gas fields, with Saudi Arabia鈥檚 top diplomat saying assaults on the kingdom meant 鈥渨hat little trust there was before has completely been shattered.鈥�
It remains unclear what steps the Gulf Arab states might take militarily as they鈥檝e sought not to enter combat alongside the United States and Israel in the war, now in its third week. While Israel did not claim the South Pars gas field attack, Defense Minister Israel Katz promised more 鈥渟urprises鈥� after saying it killed Iran鈥檚 intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, in an earlier airstrike as it works to decapitate the leadership of Tehran鈥檚 theocracy.
Iran condemned the strike on , with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warning of 鈥渦ncontrollable consequences” that “could engulf the entire world.鈥�
In Washington, President Donald Trump said that Israel would not attack South Pars again, but warned on social media that if Iran continued striking Qatar鈥檚 energy infrastructure, the U.S. would retaliate and 鈥渕assively blow up the entirety鈥� of the field.
鈥淚 do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long term implications that it will have on the future of Iran,鈥� Trump said on social media.
Oil prices surges amid attacks on major energy supplies
The United States was informed about Israel鈥檚 plans to strike , but did not take part in it, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, would not say if the Trump administration agreed with the Israeli decision to attack the gas field 鈥� part of the world鈥檚 largest such resource and a pillar of Iran鈥檚 energy supplies.
Iran escalated strikes on its Persian Gulf neighbors鈥� energy facilities, hitting gas facilities in Qatar after Israel launched the attack against the South Pars offshore natural gas field it shares with Doha. Qatar in response ordered Iranian Embassy officials to leave the country within 24 hours.
Tehran also struck the Habshan gas facility and Bab field in the United Arab Emirates, which the government there called a 鈥渄angerous escalation鈥� in the Islamic Republic鈥檚 war against Israel and the United States. Authorities in Abu Dhabi say the gas operations had been shut down after interceptions over the sites.
The attacks on Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are ratcheting up pressure on the Gulf Arab states, which have been defending against Iranian attacks since the war began on Feb. 28 but haven鈥檛 taken any offensive action against Iran as their military bases, civilian sites and energy operations have come under attack.
The price of oil surged another 5% to over $108 a barrel on international markets as Iran continued to squeeze 鈥� through which one-fifth of the world鈥檚 oil travels.
As the Trump administration looks for ways to , the Treasury Department Wednesday, saying U.S. companies will be allowed to do business with the country’s
A day earlier, Israel killed top Iranian security official and the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard鈥檚 Basij force, Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani.
Iran retaliated by unleashing missile strikes against . Israel said an Iranian missile hit the occupied West Bank, marking the territory鈥檚 first fatalities during the Iran war, though missile debris has damaged homes and businesses.
Iran also attacked Saudi Arabia鈥檚 vast Eastern Province, home to many of its oil fields, as well as Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
First fatalities reported in West Bank during Iran war
The Palestinian Red Crescent said at least three people were killed in the occupied West Bank town of Beit Awa as Iran fired missiles toward Israel. At least 13 others were injured. Earlier authorities said at least four people had died, but they adjusted the number as crew assessed the scene.
The Israeli military told The Associated Press an Iranian missile 鈥� not shrapnel from an interception 鈥� hit in the West Bank. Officials described it as a cluster munition that got past Israel鈥檚 air defense system.
Gulf countries’ oil facilities
take more hits
Qatar Energy said on X that a missile hit its massive Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility, sparking a fire that caused 鈥渆xtensive鈥� damage before it was extinguished. The company had already halted production there because of Iranian attacks.
The company warned Thursday that additional Iranian missile attacks damaged more liquefied natural gas sites in the energy-rich nation, 鈥渃ausing sizable fires and extensive further damage” but no injuries and crews were battling the blazes.
An attack set a ship ablaze early Thursday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, authorities said. The British military鈥檚 United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said that 鈥渁 vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile, which has resulted in a fire onboard.鈥�
It said the vessel was just off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the UAE, near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. Over 20 vessels have been attacked during the Iran war so far as Tehran tries to effectively close the waterway, which leads from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. Iran insists the waterway is open, just not to the U.S. or its allies.
Iran launches more multiple-warhead missiles at Israel
Responding to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Wednesday it had attacked central Israel with multiple-warhead missiles that have a better chance of evading defense systems.
Larijani a senior policy adviser to the late Supreme Leader was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in January for his role 鈥渃oordinating鈥� Iran鈥檚 violent .
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei expressed condolences for the slaying of Larijani, saying in a statement published in Iranian media that his killing “shows the extent of his importance and the hatred of the enemies of Islam towards him.鈥�
The younger Khamenei has not made a public appearance since his father was killed in the war鈥檚 opening salvos, during which he reportedly was also wounded.
More than 1,300 people in Iran have been killed during the war. Israeli strikes have displaced more than 1 million Lebanese 鈥� roughly 20% of the population 鈥� according to the Lebanese government, which says 968 people have been killed.
In Israel, 14 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed.
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Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank, and Watson from San Diego. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad, Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Darlene Superville, Aamer Mahdani and Michelle L. Price in Washington, and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.
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