Iran has threatened to strike energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf following an attack on its major gas field.

On March 18, Iranian authorities said that the South Pars gas field had been hit. This marked the first strike on Iran’s energy infrastructure since the outbreak of hostilities with the U.S. and Israel and, as noted by the Financial Times, could lead to serious escalation.

Iranian officials said four sections of a petrochemical complex at South Pars were damaged and temporarily halted operations, though the full extent of the damage remains unclear.

Following the strike, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to target oil and gas facilities in other Persian Gulf countries. The IRGC named specific targets in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, stating it could attack them in the coming hours, Meduza reported.

Qatar, which controls the northern section of the field, also condemned the strike on South Pars.

“Israeli strikes on facilities linked to South Pars are dangerous and irresponsible amid escalating military tensions in the region. We reiterate the need to avoid targeting vital infrastructure,” said Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry.

According to the Financial Times, the attack on South Pars also triggered a 5–6% increase in oil and gas prices.

Pars is considered the world’s largest gas field, located in the Persian Gulf. One part, South Pars, belongs to Iran, while the other, the North Field, belongs to Qatar. South Pars supplies most of Iran’s domestic gas consumption and plays a crucial role in electricity generation, as natural gas is the country’s main fuel source.

Meanwhile, the U.S. denied involvement in strikes on Iran’s oil facilities, according to media reports.

An unnamed U.S. official told CNN that Washington was not behind attacks on the South Pars field and oil facilities in the Asaluyeh region, RIA Novosti reported.

“The U.S. official denies that the country attacked Iran’s gas fields, instead saying the strikes were carried out by Israel,” the broadcaster said.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reacted to the death of National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani, stating that those responsible would not escape punishment. His message was published on his official Telegram channel.

“For every drop of blood, there will be blood in return. The criminal killers of the martyrs will soon pay,” Khamenei said in the statement.

Israel said on March 17 that Larijani was killed in a strike in Tehran, along with Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij volunteer forces.

On February 28, the U.S. and Israel began strikes on targets inside Iran, including Tehran, with reports of destruction and civilian casualties. Iran responded with strikes on Israeli territory and U.S. military facilities across the Middle East.