IDF strikes Iran's largest gas facility in move coordinated with Trump

2026-03-18 - 13:35

A major strike hit southern Iran on Wednesday: the oil refineries at Assaluyeh, on the shores of the Persian Gulf, were attacked, Iranian state media reported, including Tasnim News Agency (affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps). No further details on the attack were released. Fars News Agency reported that several powerful explosions were heard moments earlier at multiple refineries in Assaluyeh. According to the report, storage tanks and infrastructure were struck across several compounds within the refinery complex. Workers were evacuated to a safe area, and rescue and firefighting units are working to contain the blaze. The IRGC's warning to stay away from energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar A military source told Israel Hayom minutes after the attack, "We assess that damage to Iran's gas facilities will affect energy infrastructure not only here but across the Middle East." According to sources familiar with the recent strikes on Iran, attacking the country's national infrastructure marks a significant escalation. The target is Iran's largest gas facility, and the strike effectively knocked out roughly one-fifth of Iran's gas processing capacity – an impact that will ripple through the country's electricity sector and affect additional fields. It was also learned that the assessment is that, following this coordinated action, Iran will now attempt to focus its efforts on striking infrastructure in Israel and across the broader region. It was further learned that the strike on the gas plant – the largest of its kind in Iran – was carried out by the IDF and coordinated down to the last detail with President Trump and his team. The assessment is that this is part of a larger operation. In response to the attack, the IRGC issued a warning on Wednesday to stay away from energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, stating that those sites "have become direct and legitimate targets that will be struck in the coming hours." The facilities named in the statement include the SAMREF refinery and the Al-Jubail petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia, the Al-Hasan gas field in the United Arab Emirates, and the Mesaieed complex and Ras Laffan refinery in Qatar. Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, condemned the attack, writing that "striking energy infrastructure poses a threat to global energy security and to the peoples of the region." Qatar, which is a co-partner in the attacked gas facility, called on all parties "to exercise restraint." "Putting them out of business" Alongside reports of the strike, US President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform, "Remember, for all of those absolute 'fools' out there, Iran is considered by everyone to be the Number One State Sponsor of Terror. We are rapidly putting them out of business!" "Putting them out of business." US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, at the White House, Washington, DC, USA (Photo: WILL OLIVER/EPA) 86% of electricity output Assaluyeh is home to the processing facilities for gas piped to it from the South Pars field. The Pars field is the world's largest gas field, located in the Persian Gulf and shared between Iran and Qatar. The field accounts for approximately two-thirds of Iran's gas production, which is designated for domestic consumption. According to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), natural gas supplies approximately 86% of Iran's electricity production, making the field the lifeblood of the Iranian economy and its power supply.