Qatar accuses Israel of attacking the world's largest gas field
Energy facilities at the Pars reserve, shared between Iran and Qatar, have been affected
BarcelonaThe world's largest natural gas field, located in the Persian Gulf, was hit on Wednesday, escalating tensions between Tehran, Israel, and the United States. Iranian authorities warned shortly afterward that energy facilities in neighboring countries would be targeted "in the coming hours." This reserve, in the Pars Sud area, is shared by Iran and Qatar, a Washington ally and crucial for Iranian exports. According to the Iranian news agency Fars, gas tanks and parts of a refinery were damaged, but workers were evacuated to safety, while emergency crews rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire caused by the explosion. Israeli media report that the attack was carried out by Israel with US consent, but the Israeli military has not yet confirmed its involvement. In contrast, Qatar, which hosts the largest US air base in the region, has called it an Israeli attack without mentioning any role of the Pentagon. The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman described the bombing as a "dangerous and irresponsible" escalation that jeopardizes global energy security.
The price of natural gas and oil continued to climb on Wednesday, driven upward by the attack on the Pars Sud natural gas facility in southern Iran and Tehran's threats to intensify its air offensive against facilities in other Gulf countries. The price of liquefied natural gas on the Amsterdam TTF market rose a notable 7.64% compared to the previous day, reaching €55.5 per megawatt-hour (MWh).
Furthermore, the price of Brent crude, the European benchmark, increased by 5.9% compared to Tuesday, reaching $109.49 per barrel. As for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil (the US benchmark), the price rose 2.74% to $98.15 per barrel.
