Iran strikes cripple 17% of Qatar's LNG; US plans 'largest strike' as Pentagon claims Tehran's missiles down by 90%

The war in the Middle East, now in its 20th day, began after a joint US-Israel strike on Iran on February 28, which Iranian claim killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior officials.

War in the Middle East shows no signs of slowing, with tensions escalating sharply as strikes on critical energy infrastructure intensify across the region.

Iran has targeted several key oil and gas sites, including Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, one of the world’s most important liquefied natural gas (LNG) hubs.

According to QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi, the attack damaged facilities responsible for nearly 17% of the country’s LNG export capacity, with repairs expected to take three to five years.

While Qatar is often seen as a neutral or “brotherly” state in the region, Iran likely targeted it after warning it would strike Gulf countries involved in operations against it. The presence of the United States’ Al Udeid Air Base, home to US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Qatar, also made it a key target in Iran’s broader campaign against American military influence in the region.

Expressing shock, al-Kaabi said he “never in [his] wildest dreams” expected Qatar to be attacked, especially by what he described as a “brotherly Muslim country” during the holy month of Ramadan. He warned that the scale and nature of the strike are deeply alarming for both Qatar and the wider region.

Iran's campaign has extended beyond Qatar. In Israel, a missile barrage struck the Bazan oil refinery complex in Haifa, the country’s largest refining facility, causing localized damage and power outages in nearby suburbs. Additional Iranian drone and missile strikes have reportedly hit Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries, triggering fires, as well as energy infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates, including the Habshan gas facility and the Bab oilfield.

These developments come amid continued attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants on Red Sea shipping routes, further disrupting global supply chains and increasing pressure on already fragile energy markets.

In response, Israel and the United States have intensified joint military operations targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure. A major strike on March 8 hit five oil-related facilities in and around Tehran, including four depots and a petroleum transport center. On March 18, Israeli forces escalated further by striking Iran’s South Pars gas field, the largest in the world, a move widely seen as a direct trigger for Iran’s retaliatory attacks on regional energy assets.

US warns of  'largest strike' on Iran

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday warned that Iran could face the “largest strike package” yet, saying that American forces have already hit more than 7,000 targets across Iran. These strikes reportedly include key naval ports, missile production sites, and underground “bunker-city” storage facilities.

Hegseth also claimed that Iranian ballistic missile launches have dropped by 90%, while kamikaze drone activity, once central to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ “grey zone” warfare, has declined by 83%. The Pentagon attributes this to sustained US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s production and launch capabilities.

However, some military historians urge caution, noting that similar claims during the 1991 Gulf War about the destruction of Iraqi Scud missiles later proved inaccurate, as launches continued until the final stages of the conflict.

Analysts now suggest that Iran may be deliberately holding back advanced weapons, including Fattah hypersonic missiles and long-range drones, in preparation for a potential “saturation attack.” Such a strategy could aim to overwhelm air defense systems like Aegis and Patriot, possibly targeting major energy hubs or U.S. naval assets in the Persian Gulf.

Middle East war

The war in the Middle East, now in its 20th day, began after a joint US-Israel strike on Iran on February 28, which Iranian claim killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior officials. In retaliation, Iran launched widespread missile and air strikes targeting US military bases across Iraq, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, while also hitting defense systems in countries it accused of aiding the operation.

Iran later stated it would halt attacks on neighboring states if they prevented their territories from being used for further strikes against it.

The war has already caused extensive damage across the region. Iranian state media and the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs report more than 2,000 casualties so far, with Iran accounting for the majority, including over 1,300 civilian deaths. Meanwhile, disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have left millions of barrels of oil stranded, pushing global crude prices toward the $100 mark and raising concerns about a renewed surge in worldwide inflation.