Iran strikes Qatar LNG hub; UAE halts gas operations as Trump issues stark warning
Doha – Iranian missile attacks caused extensive damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG hub, QatarEnergy said on Wednesday, while the United Arab Emirates shut gas facilities after intercepting missiles early on Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump warned of a massive response if Tehran strikes again.
QatarEnergy said its emergency teams contained fires at Ras Laffan, the centre of the country’s liquefied natural gas operations, with authorities reporting no casualties.
The facility, located about 80 km north of Doha, is a key global energy hub processing a significant share of the world’s LNG supply.
QatarEnergy said several LNG facilities were hit in early Thursday strikes, causing “sizeable fires” and further structural damage. The Pearl gas-to-liquids plant, one of the world’s largest of its kind, suffered extensive damage, the company added.
International energy firms operating in Ras Laffan began assessing the impact. Shell, which holds stakes in multiple LNG projects at the site, said it was evaluating potential disruptions to its assets.
Qatar produces around 77 million metric tons of LNG annually, making it the world’s second-largest exporter, and Ras Laffan plays a central role in processing and export operations.
The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted incoming missiles and temporarily shut gas facilities as a precautionary measure. Authorities reported no injuries.
The attacks followed Iranian evacuation warnings for energy installations across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, issued after strikes on Iran’s own infrastructure, including the South Pars and Asaluyeh energy complexes.
Qatar condemned the strike as a threat to national security and ordered Iranian diplomatic staff linked to defence and security to leave the country within 24 hours, declaring them persona non grata.
Trump, responding on social media, warned Iran against further targeting Qatari LNG infrastructure and said the United States would respond forcefully if such attacks were repeated. He added that Israel’s earlier strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field had occurred without prior notification to Washington or Doha.
The escalation marks a widening of the conflict into critical Gulf energy infrastructure, raising concerns over sustained disruptions to global gas supplies and heightened geopolitical risk across the region.
