A fire broke out at a gas facility in Qatar after an Iranian attack on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reported that they had repelled several attacks in their airspace.
The alarms come after Iran warned that it would attack energy facilities in those countries. This is in response to Israel's attack on facilities at Iran's largest gas field.
"This will complicate the situation and could have uncontrollable consequences," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X about the attacks on the gas field, calling them an escalation of the US and Israel's war on Iran, which until now had largely avoided attacking the country's oil and gas sector.
“The response will be carried out”
On Wednesday evening, further warnings came from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, stating that the Gulf countries' oil and gas facilities are seen as American interests and are therefore completely legitimate targets.
"We warn you again that you are making a big mistake by attacking Iran's energy infrastructure; the response will be carried out," it announced via state media.
"If (the attacks) are repeated, further attacks will come on your and your allies' energy facilities, and they will not stop until they are completely destroyed. Our response will be much greater than tonight's attacks," the Revolutionary Guards continued.
The fire at a gas facility in Qatar on Wednesday evening was reported to have been brought under control, but it caused extensive damage. Qatar condemned the Iranian attack, describing it as a "direct threat to the country's national security."
Destroyed drones
During the afternoon and evening, loud explosions were also heard over the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia says it destroyed five drones that were heading towards gas facilities and shot down four ballistic missiles. Pieces from one of the missiles landed near a refinery south of Riyadh, the country's defense ministry says.
The United Arab Emirates also announced that its air defenses have been activated to ward off drone and missile attacks from Iran.
The Iranian attacks have caused oil prices to rise sharply on Wednesday.
