Israel’s attack on Iranian facilities in the South Pars gas field marked a major escalation in the war, prompting an enraged Iran to attack key energy facilities in its Gulf neighbours, sending oil prices soaring and prompting the US president to threaten to “blow up” South Pars if Iran did not stop.
But what is the South Pars gas field and why is the strike so important?
South Perth is part of the world’s largest natural gas reserves. Iran shares a gas field with Qatar in the Persian Gulf, part of which it calls North Dome. The entire gas field contains an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet of usable gas, enough to supply global demand for 13 years, Reuters reported.
Why is it so important? Iran’s gas production from South Pars is the country’s largest source of energy. Iran has previously suffered power shortages due to gas supply disruptions, which could affect its ability to generate electricity and heat homes.
Global concerns: Qatar has spent billions of dollars developing its own gas fields and is the world’s leading supplier of LNG. During the Israeli attack on Iran that hit parts of southern Perth in June 2025, officials told CNN at the time that the Qatari side was “an important source of energy for the United States, Europe and the world.”
‘Serious escalation’: Arab countries condemn attacks on infrastructure related to the Southern Pearl Islands. The UAE called this a “serious escalation” that posed a direct threat not only to global energy supplies but also to regional security. Qatar called the South Perth attack a “dangerous and irresponsible step.”
Retaliatory attacks: Iran attacked key energy facilities in the region in retaliation, causing “severe damage” to Ras Laffan Industrial City, a key natural gas processing facility and Qatar’s main energy hub. Two oil refineries in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh were also attacked. Saudi Arabia later said it “reserves the right to take military action” against Iran if it deems it necessary.
Escalating energy crisis: The world is already facing an energy shortage, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and strikes shaking markets again and sending global oil prices soaring. One analyst told CNN that when energy production infrastructure is damaged, it “immediately extends the timeline significantly,” as rebuilding the infrastructure can take months or even years.
Trump’s threat: US President Donald Trump has threatened to “massively blow up” Iran’s entire gas field if it continues its attacks on energy facilities in Qatar. President Trump said the United States knew “nothing” about Israel’s attack on the South Pars Islands. However, two Israeli officials told CNN on Wednesday that the attack was carried out in coordination with the United States.
CNN’s Tal Sharef, Nadine Ebrahim, Alena Fayaz, Mohamed Tawfiq, John Tawfigh and Hanna Ziadi contributed reporting.
