Trump Threatens to Destroy Iranian Gas Field if Qatar Attacked

On March 19, 2026, President Donald Trump issued one of the most incendiary threats of the three-week-old conflict with Iran: that the United States would, "with or without the help or consent of Israel," destroy the entirety of Iran's South Pars gas field if Tehran launched further strikes on Qatari energy infrastructure [1]. The warning came hours after Iranian missiles inflicted "extensive damage" on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world's largest LNG export facility, in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian side of the same shared gas reserve the day before [2][3].

The exchange of strikes on the world's largest natural gas field — straddling the maritime border between Iran and Qatar — represents a dangerous new phase in a conflict that has already sent oil prices soaring above $116 per barrel, shut down the Strait of Hormuz to nearly all commercial shipping, and drawn every Gulf Cooperation Council state into the crosshairs of Iranian missiles [4][5].

The Field at the Center of the Storm

The South Pars/North Dome gas field is the world's largest natural gas reserve, holding an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet of gas and 50 billion barrels of condensates. It spans approximately 9,700 square kilometers of the Persian Gulf: 3,700 square kilometers on the Iranian side (South Pars) and 6,000 square kilometers on the Qatari side (North Dome) [6].

Iran's South Pars field produces approximately 2 billion cubic feet per day, though Iranian officials claimed daily production reached a record 730 million cubic meters in 2025. The field is the backbone of Iran's domestic gas supply and generates a significant share of government revenue through condensate exports [6][7].

Qatar's North Dome side is far more developed, producing roughly 18.5 billion cubic feet per day and accounting for approximately 80% of Qatari government revenues. Qatar supplies roughly 20% of global LNG demand from this single field, and Doha had sealed $29 billion worth of agreements with Western firms to boost annual LNG export capacity from 77 million tons to 126 million tons by 2026 [6][8].

The geological reality makes Trump's threat particularly fraught: the gas reservoir is a single continuous formation. Energy analysts have warned that large-scale destruction of surface infrastructure on either side could have unpredictable consequences for reservoir pressure and extraction efficiency on the other side — meaning an attack on Iran's facilities could ultimately harm Qatar's own production capacity [7].

How the Gas Field Became a Battlefield

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, 2026, with coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei [9]. Iran responded with missile and drone barrages targeting U.S. bases across the Gulf and Israeli territory, as well as strikes on civilian infrastructure in Gulf states that host American military assets [10].

For nearly three weeks, the conflict had largely avoided energy infrastructure. That changed on March 18 when Israel's air force, in what officials described as a strike "coordinated with and approved by the Trump administration," hit facilities at South Pars and the nearby Asaluyeh processing complex — the first time Israel had targeted Iran's natural gas infrastructure [11][12].

Iran's response was swift and devastating. Within hours, Tehran launched retaliatory missiles at Qatar's Ras Laffan facility, the UAE's gas infrastructure, and Saudi Arabian energy sites, framing the attacks as reciprocal: if its energy lifeline could be struck, so could its neighbors' [2][3]. Qatar's government reported "significant damage" at Ras Laffan, with fires breaking out at multiple LNG processing trains [3].

This was not the first Iranian strike on Qatari territory. On February 28, Iranian missiles hit areas near Al Udeid Air Base, injuring 16 people. On March 2, drone attacks on Ras Laffan and Mesaieed Industrial City prompted QatarEnergy to declare force majeure and halt all natural gas production [13][10].

Trump's Threat and Its Legal Basis

Trump's statement on March 19 was characteristically blunt: the U.S. would "massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before" [1]. He called the Iranian attacks on Qatar "unjustifiable" and "unfair" — notable language given that the Israeli strike on South Pars that precipitated Iran's retaliation had been conducted with U.S. approval [12].

The legal authority for such an action remains deeply contested. The administration has argued that the president acted within his constitutional authority as commander-in-chief when ordering the initial strikes on Iran. Congress has not authorized military force against Iran, and the War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires presidential notification within 48 hours of committing forces to hostilities and mandates withdrawal within 60 days absent congressional authorization [14][15].

Both the House and Senate have voted on measures to constrain Trump's war powers in Iran. The House rejected a war powers measure on March 4. In the Senate, a bipartisan resolution led by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Republican Sen. Rand Paul — requiring explicit congressional authorization for further hostilities — also failed to pass [15][16].

The constitutional question is acute: destroying an entire gas field would represent a massive escalation beyond any previous unauthorized presidential military action, dwarfing the targeted strikes on Iranian military commanders that tested war powers limits in 2020 [14].

Source: FRED / U.S. Energy Information Administration

Data as of Mar 16, 2026CSV

The Energy Market Shockwave

The economic consequences have been immediate and severe. WTI crude oil prices have surged from roughly $67 per barrel before the conflict to above $98 as of March 13 — an increase of more than 40%. On March 19, following the gas field exchange, Brent crude futures spiked 8% to $116.20 per barrel [4][5].

LNG markets have been hit even harder. Asian spot prices more than doubled to $25.40 per million British thermal units after QatarEnergy's initial force majeure declaration on March 2 — a three-year high. Overall LNG prices have risen nearly 60% since the war began [5][17].

The scale of disruption reflects Qatar's outsized role in global gas markets. Ras Laffan alone produces approximately 20% of the world's LNG supply. QatarEnergy has warned it may take "at least a month" to restore normal production levels even if the facility sustains no further damage [5][17].

European energy markets, still rebuilding supply chains after the Russia-Ukraine disruptions, face particular vulnerability. The Bruegel think tank warned that a prolonged Qatari supply outage could force European buyers into competition with Asian importers on the spot market, driving prices to levels not seen since the 2022 energy crisis [17].

Source: FRED / U.S. Energy Information Administration

Data as of Mar 16, 2026CSV

Qatar: The Unwilling Target

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this crisis is Qatar's position. Unlike Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have had adversarial relationships with Iran, Qatar had maintained uniquely warm diplomatic ties with Tehran for decades — a relationship built in large part around their shared stewardship of the South Pars/North Dome field [10][13].

Qatar never sought this fight. The emirate had not joined the U.S.-Israeli military campaign, had not offered its territory for offensive operations, and had consistently called for de-escalation. Yet it has borne the brunt of Iranian retaliation, in significant part because of Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East [18].

Al Udeid hosts approximately 8,000 to 10,000 U.S. military personnel and serves as the forward operating headquarters for U.S. Central Command. Iran struck the base on February 28 as part of its initial retaliatory wave. In January 2026, amid rising tensions, the U.S. had already begun drawing down some personnel in what was described as a "precautionary posture change" [18][19].

Qatar expelled Iranian embassy officials after the March 18 Ras Laffan strike, a dramatic rupture in a relationship that had survived decades of regional tensions [20]. The emirate's transformation from Iran's closest Gulf partner to a target of Iranian missiles in the space of three weeks illustrates the indiscriminate nature of the escalation spiral.

Regional Responses: Patience Running Out

Iran's attacks have drawn every GCC member state into the conflict — the first time since the Tanker War of the late 1980s that Iran has openly targeted Gulf territory on this scale [10].

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud issued a pointed warning: "The patience that is being exhibited is not unlimited," adding that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have "very significant capacities and capabilities" that could be drawn on [21]. The UAE recalled its ambassador to Israel — a signal of frustration not with Tehran, but with the trajectory of events set in motion by the U.S.-Israeli campaign [10].

Despite the attacks, Gulf states have largely resisted being drawn into direct combat. As Al Jazeera reported, "a chorus of regional voices urged restraint — warning that the Gulf states must not be pulled into a war they never wanted" [10]. The Arab position is caught between outrage at Iranian strikes on civilian infrastructure and anger at the Israeli attack on South Pars that triggered the retaliation.

Turkey and Israel occupy different poles. Israel has described the South Pars strike as necessary to degrade Iran's economic capacity to wage war [12]. Turkey's President Erdogan has called for an immediate ceasefire and condemned attacks on civilian energy infrastructure by all parties.

Iran's Retaliation Playbook

If the U.S. were to follow through on Trump's threat and destroy the entirety of South Pars, the range of Iranian response options is extensive and well-documented.

Strait of Hormuz: Iran has already effectively shut down the waterway, with tanker traffic dropping approximately 97% below normal levels — from over 100 ships daily to single digits [22]. The IRGC has deployed a layered defense of anti-ship missiles, mines, and aerial drones. Open-source estimates place Iran's mine stockpile at 5,000 to 6,000, including bottom and influence mines that are "slow to clear and disproportionately disruptive." Fortune has described the strait as an Iranian "kill box" [22][23].

Regional bases: Iran has demonstrated the capability to strike U.S. installations across the Gulf, hitting bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE since the war began [10]. Iranian ballistic missiles have ranges exceeding 2,000 kilometers, placing every major U.S. facility in the region within reach.

Proxy network: Hezbollah in Lebanon, the most capable Iranian proxy with an estimated 150,000+ rockets and missiles, has been firing on Israel since the conflict began [24]. Iraqi militias linked to the Islamic Resistance have claimed drone strikes on U.S. bases in Erbil. The Houthis in Yemen, who demonstrated anti-ship capabilities during the Red Sea disruptions of 2024, have so far limited their response to declarations and protests [24][25].

Energy targeting: Iran has explicitly warned Gulf nations to evacuate petrochemical facilities, suggesting further attacks on energy infrastructure across the region are planned [3]. The destruction of South Pars would likely trigger an all-out Iranian assault on Gulf energy assets — the very scenario Trump's threat purports to deter.

The Escalation Trap

The fundamental contradiction in Trump's threat is that destroying South Pars would likely trigger the exact catastrophe it ostensibly aims to prevent. A full-scale attack on the world's largest gas field would:

• Eliminate a shared resource that Qatar depends on for 80% of its government revenue
• Risk geological damage to the connected North Dome reservoir on the Qatari side
• Almost certainly provoke Iran to attack every reachable Gulf energy facility
• Send global energy prices into uncharted territory, with oil potentially exceeding $150 per barrel
• Deepen the Strait of Hormuz blockade, further strangling global oil supplies

Energy analysts at Goldman Sachs and CSIS have warned that the conflict's impact on energy markets could persist for months even after a ceasefire, given damaged infrastructure, disrupted logistics, and elevated shipping risk premiums [5][17].

The threat also raises the question of proportionality. Destroying an entire gas field — not a military target, but civilian energy infrastructure that supplies gas to Iranian households and industry — would be without precedent in modern U.S. military operations and would face fierce legal and diplomatic challenges [14].

As the conflict enters its fourth week with no ceasefire in sight, the exchange of strikes on gas fields has introduced a dangerous new logic: energy infrastructure as both weapon and target. Trump's threat to obliterate South Pars may be intended as deterrence, but in a region already engulfed in retaliatory spirals, it risks being the match that ignites something far worse.