Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on facilities for the South Pars gasfield, Asaluyeh, Iran, March 18, 2026
US, Israel, and Iran: What Kind of War Is This Becoming?
UPDATE 0623 GMT:
Republicans in the US Senate have blocked a measure that aimed to curb Donald Trump’s power for war on Iran.
The Senate voted 53-47, almost completely on party lines, against consideration of the measure.
“We do not know Donald Trump’s goals,” Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote. “We do not know Donald Trump’s timeline. We do not know what victory even looks like in his eyes. Enough is enough.”
ORIGINAL ENTRY: The US-Israel War on Iran escalated on Wednesday with Israeli strikes on the world’s largest gasfield.
Israel hit facilities in Asaluyeh, Iran serving the South Pars field off the southern Iranian coast. The attack was carried out with the consent of the US, confirmed two Israeli officials and a US defense official.
Qatar, which shares South Pars with Iran, and the UAE condemned the strikes as “dangerous and irresponsible”. A Qatari Government spokesperson, Majid al-Ansari, warned that the targeting of energy infrastructure is “a threat to global energy security, as well as to the peoples of the region and its environment”.
A senior Iraqi official said Iranian gas flows, providing between 33% of 40% of Iraq’s power, were suspended.
The global oil price spiked to $112 per barrel, a rise of almost 9% and the highest level since March 9. Daily oil exports from the region have fallen by at least 60% during the war.
Iran Pledges Retaliation
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened retaliation on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. State media identified Saudi Arabia’s Samref refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex; the UAE’s al-Hosn gasfield; and Qatar’s Ras Laffan refinery and Mesaieed petrochemical complex as the Guards said in a statement:
These centers have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours. Therefore, all citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without any delay.
State company QatarEnergy, the world’s largest liquified natural gas producer, said several of its LNG facilities were targeted by missiles early Thursday, causing “sizeable fires” and extensive damage. The Defense Ministry said missiles also were fired upon the Ras Laffan Industrial City.
Operations were shut down at the UAE’s Habshan gas facility and Bab field after Iranian munitions were intercepted over the sites.
Trump Says He Will “Blow Up” South Pars
US officials said the Trump camp had approved the Israeli strikes as a response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world’s maritime gas and 25% of maritime oil passes. They said Donald Trump had told Israel to refrain from further attacks.
But Trump railed on Truth Social that he will “massively blow up” the entire South Pars field if the Iranians retaliate against Qatar’s liquefied natural gas facilities.
He lied that the Administration “knew nothing” about Israel’s strikes while declaring “no more attacks will be made by Israel” unless Iran “decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar”.
In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before.
