A fire caused by an Iranian attack continues to be extinguished in the Ras Laffan area of Qatar, the local Interior Ministry said on 18 March.
The ministry later added that the fire had been brought under control and that there were no casualties. The ministry did not specify the nature of the site under attack. Raf Saffan is an industrial town run by the state energy company QatarEnergy, which produces liquefied natural gas.
Qatar’s foreign ministry issued a statement “strongly condemning” Iran’s strike on the industrial town of Ras Laffan, which caused fires and significant damage.
“Qatar considers this attack a dangerous escalation, a blatant violation of its sovereignty and a direct threat to its national security and the stability of the region,” the ministry added.
The foreign ministry pointed to Qatar’s neutral status in the current conflict, which is ongoing between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other.
Reuters quoted unnamed sources as saying that Tehran had announced an evacuation warning for a number of oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, including the Ras Laffan refinery, indicating that they would be attacked “in the coming hours”.
The agency also quoted QatarEnergy as saying it had suffered “significant damage” following the rocket attacks on the industrial city of Ras Laffan. Reuters notes that the company is the world’s second largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.
Earlier, Qatar condemned an Israeli strike on the special economic zone in Iran’s Bushehr, where much of Iran’s gas production is centred. The local South Pars field is considered the largest in the world, with part of it located in Qatar. Israel’s attack was also criticised by the United Arab Emirates.
Read also: ‘ Can’t lose unity’. Threats of a rift between the US and allies over the Strait of Hormuz crisis
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari called the attack on South Pars-related facilities a “dangerous and irresponsible move,” warning that attacks on energy infrastructure threaten global energy security, regional stability and the environment.
Iran has threatened to attack energy facilities across the Gulf region after Israeli strikes on its gas field.
Israel and the US have been striking Iran since 28 February. US President Donald Trump has said the aim of the war is to destroy Iran’s military capability and prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has been striking Israel and countries in the region that co-operate with the US. At the same time, Axios wrote that the US asked Israel not to attack Iran’s energy infrastructure.
The Qatari government reported a fire due to an Iranian strike on an energy facility