South Pars gas field

“Moments ago, parts of the gas facilities located in the South Pars Special Economic Energy Zone in Asaluyeh were struck by projectiles fired by the American-Zionist enemy,” stated Ehsan Jahanian, deputy governor of Bushehr province.

The airstrikes, reported on March 18, 2026, targeted facilities at the South Pars gas field, which is the world’s largest natural gas field, shared between Iran and Qatar. This incident marks a significant escalation, as it is the first time Iran’s upstream oil and gas facilities have been targeted since the onset of the ongoing conflict.

According to reports, the strikes specifically hit gas storage tanks at South Pars, leading to the halting of output at two refineries with a combined capacity of approximately 100 million cubic meters per day. Firefighting teams have been dispatched to contain the resulting fires at the gas facilities.

The Israeli Air Force has been implicated in the attack, with an Israeli official confirming, “The Israeli Air Force struck Iranian gas infrastructure in the south of the country a short while ago.”

In response to the crisis, a management headquarters has been established to coordinate firefighting and recovery efforts. Asaluyeh Governor reported, “These phases have been taken offline to control and prevent fire from spreading, and the situation is under control.”

Daily gas production at South Pars had reached a record 730 million cubic meters in 2025, underscoring the field’s significance to Iran’s energy sector. The recent attacks threaten to disrupt this output and exacerbate energy shortages in the region.

Details remain unconfirmed regarding the extent of the damage to the facilities and whether the strikes were coordinated between Israel and the United States. The situation remains fluid as firefighting efforts continue and assessments of the damage are conducted.

Historically, Iran has engaged in retaliatory actions against Qatar and other Gulf Arab nations during the ongoing conflict, indicating that regional tensions are likely to escalate further in the wake of these airstrikes.