The conflict in the Middle East adds up and is contradictory from Washington. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has assured that he had no prior knowledge of the Israeli attack against the giant South Pars gas field, Iran.
But, at the same time, he has left a warning that raises tension even further: if Iran hits energy facilities in the region again, The United States could respond with an all-out offensive.
“Israel attacked an important facility in Iran… only a small part was damaged”Trump said, trying to downplay the impact of the bombing. However, the president himself recognized the strategic gravity of the objective: South Pars is the largest natural gas reserve in the world and key to Iran’s energy supply.
An attack that changes the board
The Israeli bombing of South Paris marks a turning point. This is not a military base or a symbolic target, but rather the energy heart of Iran, responsible for around 70% of the gas consumed by the country.
Although Trump insists that the United States did not participate or have prior knowledge; many in the region interpreted the attack as part of an operation coordinated or, at least, tolerated by Washington.
The Iranian response was immediate
Tehran reacted by attacking energy infrastructure in several countries in the Persian Gulf. The most serious impact occurred in Qatarwhere the Ras Laffan refinery, the country’s main liquefied natural gas plant, suffered a fire that caused “serious damage,” as confirmed by authorities.
There were also attacks on a fuel depot in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and in a refinery in Bahrainexpanding the radius of the conflict and placing the entire region on alert.
Iran’s message is clear: If his energy is attacked, he will respond by hitting his rivals’ energy.
Trump’s threat
In this context, Trump has toughened his tone. Although he insists that the United States was not behind the initial attack, he has warned that he would authorize direct action against South Pars if Iran attacks facilities in Qatar again.
A threat that, in practice, means opening the door to a much more direct involvement of Washington in the conflict.
Furthermore, the US president has indicated that Israel will not attack the Iranian gas field again “unless Iran acts recklessly”, making it clear that the current balance is extremely fragile.
Global impact: oil, gas and markets
The escalation is already having consequences beyond the military field. The war has generated strong instability in the flow and price of oil, affecting international markets.
As an emergency measure, Trump has suspended for 60 days a law that required crude oil to be transported between US ports exclusively on national ships, with the aim of relieving pressure on gasoline prices.
The conflict is no longer just regional. It is energetic, economic and global.
And with South Pars in the center of the board, any new move can trigger an even greater escalation.
