Former U.S. president Donald Trump said Washington would not hesitate to completely destroy the Iranian gas field South Pars if Tehran again attacks gas liquefaction facilities in Qatar. In a post on the social network Truth Social, Trump described Israel’s recent strike on part of that field as an action taken “out of anger” over events in the region, and emphasized that the U.S. had not been informed of that attack in advance. He also called Iran’s retaliatory missile strike on Qatari gas facilities “unjustified and unfair.”
The American politician warned that Israel would stop attacking the strategic South Pars field, but only if Iran refrains from committing another “stupid” act by striking Qatar. In that case, Trump said, there would be a direct and strong U.S. intervention, “with Israel’s help or without it.” He added that he does not want to use that level of force because of the long-term consequences for Iran’s future, but if Qatar’s facilities are attacked again he will not hesitate. South Pars (known on the Qatari side as North Dome) is the world’s largest natural gas field, which Iran and Qatar share between them.
The escalation occurred amid a series of reciprocal strikes. On Wednesday, gas facilities in the Asaluyeh area in southern Iran, where the South Pars field is located, came under missile fire. Iranian agency Fars reported hits on storage tanks and facilities at local refineries. Almost simultaneously, Qatari energy company QatarEnergy announced severe damage as a result of missile attacks on the industrial city of Ras Laffan in the north of the country. The current crisis is unfolding against the backdrop of the ongoing war, which the U.S. and Israel have been conducting against Iran since late February.
Full version: ترمب يهدد بتدمير حقل "بارس الجنوبي" إذا هاجمت إيران منشآت غاز قطر مجددا