Trump warns Iran: US will destroy gas field if Qatar hit again

2026-03-19 - 05:59

Blunt warning to Tehran In a statement on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that any additional attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City would prompt American forces to destroy the entire South Pars facility with or without Israeli involvement, at a scale Iran had "never seen or witnessed before." The US leader said he preferred to avoid such destruction given its long-term consequences for Iran's future but would not hesitate if forced to act. Conflicting accounts of coordination Trump claimed Washington had no advance knowledge of the Israeli strike on the Iranian gas field and insisted Qatar was unaware of the operation. However, American and Israeli officials told Axios that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump had coordinated on the strike to deter Iran from disrupting oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Following the initial Iranian missile strike, Qatari officials contacted US special envoy Steve Witkoff seeking clarification, leading to an urgent call between Trump and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Regional escalation intensifies An Israeli airstrike targeted the Iranian side of the South Pars field Wednesday, halting production at two major refineries. Qatar subsequently reported two missile attacks on its main LNG production hub and declared Iranian military attaches persona non grata. The broader conflict has claimed approximately 1,300 lives since the joint US-Israeli offensive began, including former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Tehran launching retaliatory strikes across multiple countries hosting US assets.