West Asia War: Qatari complex housing world’s largest liquefied natural gas export plant suffers 'extensive damage' from Iranian strike

The Iran conflict continued its pivot from military sites to energy infrastructure on Wednesday as Iranian missiles struck Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, setting off fires and causing "extensive damage" to the country’s main liquefied natural gas (LNG) export hub.

Ras Laffan, located 80 kilometers north of Doha, covers 295 square kilometers and hosts LNG processing plants, a gas-to-liquids facility, storage units, condensate splitters, and an oil refinery.

The site was effectively isolated due to restricted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following prior US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and production had already been halted earlier this month after an Iranian drone attack, prompting QatarEnergy to declare force majeure on deliveries.


The attacks followed Iran’s warnings that energy facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar were “legitimate targets” after Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s South Pars and Asaluyeh fields.

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QatarEnergy, the state-owned company and the world’s second-largest LNG exporter, said multiple facilities were hit and emergency teams rushed to contain the flames. All personnel were accounted for, and no casualties were reported.

Emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the resulting damage with no reported casualties.

"In addition to the previous attack on Ras Laffan Industrial City on Wednesday 18 March 2026 that resulted in extensive damage to the Pearl GTL (Gas-to-Liquids) facility, QatarEnergy confirms that in the early hours of Thursday 19 March 2026, several of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities were the subject of missile attacks, causing sizeable fires and extensive further damage," the statement form the world's second-largest LNG exporter read.



In the UAE, the Habshan gas facilities and the Bab oil field were temporarily shut down after falling debris from intercepted missiles caused damage, according to Abu Dhabi authorities.

Trump warns of serious retaliation

US President Donald Trump weighed in on the escalating crisis, warning that any further attacks on Qatar’s LNG facilities would trigger a strong American response.

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“No more attacks will be made by Israel pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar,” Trump posted on Truth Social. He added that the United States could “massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field” if Iran targeted Qatar again.

Analysts highlighted the market implications of the strikes.

Neil Beveridge, managing director of research at Bernstein, told Bloomberg News, “If there is damage to the LNG plant, this is obviously more consequential, particularly given the limited inventories or stocks of LNG. There is no strategic reserve for LNG.”

Similarly, Tom Marzec-Manser, Europe gas and LNG director at Wood Mackenzie Ltd., said, “A retaliatory attack on Ras Laffan is exactly what the global natural gas market feared the most… it’s going to be bullish for gas prices when the market opens on Thursday.”

Qatar declares Iranian attaches 'persona non grata'

In response to the missile strikes, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Iran’s attack as a “direct threat” to national security and a “flagrant violation of sovereignty.”

The ministry ordered Iranian military and security attaches, along with their affiliated staff, to leave the country within 24 hours.

"The ministry explained that this decision comes in response to repeated Iranian targeting and the blatant aggression against the State of Qatar, which violated its sovereignty and security, in a flagrant breach of the principles of international law, United Nations Security Council Resolution No. (2817), and the principles of good neighborliness," an official statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry said.

"The ministry stressed that the continuation of this hostile approach by the Iranian side will be met with additional measures by the State of Qatar, in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security, and national interests," it added.