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Netanyahu says Israel 'acted alone' in attack on Iranian gas field

March 19, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel independently conducted strikes on Iran's South Pars gas field, one of the world's largest natural gas facilities, which prompted Iranian retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure in Qatar and other Gulf targets. The exchange of strikes caused significant disruptions to global energy supplies, with Qatar reporting 17% of its export capacity affected and gas prices surging more than 10% in Europe and the UK. The incident has exposed potential rifts between Israel and the United States, as President Trump stated he had no advance knowledge of the attacks and requested no further strikes on energy targets, despite Israeli officials claiming coordination had occurred.

Who is affected

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel
  • Iranian government and energy infrastructure
  • US President Donald Trump and the United States government
  • Qatar, specifically its Ras Laffan industrial area and QatarEnergy
  • Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdurrahman Al-Thani
  • Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
  • Global energy consumers (Europe and UK experiencing price increases)
  • Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz
  • Haifa residents in northern Israel
  • Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen

What action is being taken

  • Israel is attacking Iran's military capacity and naval assets in the Caspian Sea
  • Iran is restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz
  • The US is weighing lifting sanctions on some Iranian oil to contain energy market impacts
  • Israel is working to weaken the Iranian regime

Why it matters

  • This conflict represents a dangerous escalation affecting global energy security, as the targeted infrastructure and shipping routes are critical to worldwide oil and natural gas supplies. The attacks have already caused immediate disruptions to approximately 17% of Qatar's LNG export capacity and driven significant price spikes in energy markets across Europe and the UK. The apparent disconnect between Israeli and US coordination raises concerns about the stability of their alliance and the potential for uncontrolled escalation, while threats of further retaliation from Iran could lead to even greater disruptions to the roughly 20 million barrels of oil that transit the Strait of Hormuz daily.

What's next

  • Trump has requested no further attacks on energy targets
  • Iran has warned it will show "zero restraint" if its infrastructure is struck again
  • Netanyahu stated that Iranians would need to exploit the conditions created by Israeli attacks if they want to overthrow their government

Read full article from source: BBC