Dubai, Mar 18 (AP) Qatar on Wednesday blamed Israel for an attack on an offshore natural gas field it shares with Iran.
The accusation came from Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry.
The Iranian side of the field, the South Pars field, came under attack Wednesday and was burning.
Al-Ansari called the attack “a dangerous & irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region.” “Targeting energy infrastructure constitutes a threat to global energy security, as well as to the peoples of the region & its environment,” he wrote on X.
“We reiterate, as we have repeatedly emphasised, the necessity of avoiding the targeting of vital facilities. We call on all parties to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, & work toward de-escalation in a manner that preserves the security & stability of the region.” Earlier, Iran’s state television published a threat Wednesday, saying that the Islamic Republic would be attacking oil and gas infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The threat resembled other attack warnings put out by Iran during the war, copying the style used by the Israeli military.
Iran specifically threatened Saudi Arabia’s Samref Refinery and its Jubail Petrochemical Complex. It also threatened the UAE’s Al Hasan Gas Field and the petrochemical plants and a refinery in the Qatar.
It comes after Iran said its South Pars gas field and associated infrastructure came under attack earlier Wednesday. (AP) NPK NPK
