US President Donald Trump pledged Israel would make no more attacks on Iran’s major South Pars gas field, but that if Iran attacked Qatar's main gas installation again, the United States would retaliate and “massively blow up the entirety” of the field.

Trump made his threat on social media on Wednesday night as the war roiled global energy markets and Iranian missiles hit Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, an energy-industry hub.

The United States was informed about plans for an Israeli strike on Iran’s massive offshore South Pars natural gas field on Wednesday, but did not take part in it, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

US-Israeli attacks on Iran are escalating pressure on the region's energy sector, the price of oil surged another five percent to over US$108 a barrel on international markets, increasing the cost of gasoline and other goods while squeezing the global economy.

Global oil prices rose on news of the Pars field attack due to fears of Iranian retaliation on Gulf energy infrastructure.

Hours later, authorities in Qatar said a ballistic missile hit the country’s key natural gas site, sparking a fire that caused “extensive” damage, and Qatar ordered some Iranian embassy officials out of the country.

Tehran has been striking its Persian Gulf neighbours’ energy facilities since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran started on February 28 and made the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel, through which one fifth of the world’s oil are shipped, nearly impassable.

Iran and Hezbollah have also been firing drones and missiles at Israel. (AP)


Edited by Tony Sabine