Iran Conducts Successive Attacks on Saudi and Qatar Oil and Gas Facilities; Trump Reportedly Opposes Further Strikes on Iranian Energy Facilities

Caixin News, March 19 (Editor: Bian Chun) — According to reports from CCTV News and other media outlets, on March 18 local time, U.S. officials stated that after Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field, President Trump said he “does not want further attacks on Iran’s energy facilities.”

U.S. officials said that Trump was informed in advance of Israel’s plans to attack the South Pars gas field and expressed support, aiming to send a message to Iran in response to its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to U.S. officials, Trump believes that “Iran has understood this message,” and therefore he currently opposes further attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure.

However, this stance still depends on Iran’s future actions in this strategic waterway, and Trump may reconsider targeting more Iranian energy facilities again.

Middle East Energy Crisis Escalates Rapidly

On March 18, Iran reported that the South Pars Phase 3 to 6 natural gas plants in Bushehr Province were attacked by U.S. and Israeli drones.

Israeli sources stated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Iran’s “largest natural gas facility” located in southern Bushehr. This facility processes 40% of Iran’s natural gas. Israeli officials also said that the attack was coordinated with the United States.

This is the first strike against Iranian energy infrastructure in the Gulf region during the U.S.-Israel conflict. Iran immediately warned that it would target oil facilities in three Middle Eastern countries within hours. This marks a significant escalation in the conflict.

Iran announced on March 18 that it successfully struck a joint oil and gas refinery in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in a U.S.-designated area. Explosions occurred at the refinery, causing large fires. Reports indicate that the attack destroyed the fuel reserves for U.S. military aircraft, which could severely disrupt or halt the refueling process for U.S. jets. It is known that the U.S. military has been using this refinery to supply fuel to aircraft stationed at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Sudan.

Qatar’s energy company issued a statement on March 18 that its Ras Laffan Industrial City was hit by missiles that night. The statement said the attack caused a fire and significant property damage but no casualties. The civil defense department has now controlled the fire.

Ras Laffan Industrial City is Qatar’s core LNG industry hub and the world’s largest LNG export terminal. According to CCTV News, in the early hours of March 19, Qatar’s Ras Laffan natural gas facilities were again struck by missiles.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement on the night of March 18 that its missile units launched attacks on the U.S. Salami base in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah Province and Kurdish armed forces bases in Zako, Sulaymaniyah Province.

U.S. Takes More Measures to Stabilize Oil Prices

Since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran conflict, Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has significantly driven up oil prices. U.S. crude futures have surged over 60% this year.

On Wednesday, Brent crude futures settled at $107.38 per barrel, up nearly $4, a 3.8% increase. U.S. crude oil futures closed up $0.11, or 0.1%, at $96.32.

The conflict spreading to more energy infrastructure in the Middle East is likely to push oil prices higher, potentially reigniting inflation in the U.S. and slowing economic growth, which could harm President Trump’s Republican prospects in the midterm elections in November.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the current retail gasoline price in the U.S. is $3.84 per gallon, the highest since late 2023, up from $2.92 a month ago.

Following the attack on Iran, fuel prices soared, and the White House is working to contain prices. Sources say Vice President Vance and other senior officials in the Trump administration plan to meet with oil industry executives on Thursday.

The Trump administration has already taken measures to curb oil prices, such as releasing large amounts of oil reserves and waiving sanctions on Russian oil. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury Department has authorized certain transactions related to Venezuela’s state oil company.

As a recent measure to ease the energy price surge caused by the Iran conflict, President Trump authorized a 60-day temporary exemption from the Jones Act on Wednesday, to reduce transportation costs for oil, natural gas, and other bulk commodities within the U.S. Under this measure, ships flying foreign flags will be allowed to transport related energy and other goods between U.S. ports for the next 60 days.

Furthermore, sources say the Trump administration expects to soon lift summer gasoline regulations to help control energy prices.