Iranian media outlets reported on Wednesday warnings calling for the evacuation of several oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Workers and residents in nearby areas were urged to leave in preparation for potential strikes in the coming hours, in response to the bombing of the Pars gas facility.
Iran’s official Press TV channel published warnings issued by the Iranian armed forces targeting the Samref refinery and the Jubail petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia, the Al Hosn gas field in the UAE, and the Mesaieed petrochemical complex, Mesaieed Holding Company, and Ras Laffan refinery in Qatar.
According to the warnings: “These sites have become direct and legitimate targets and will be struck within the coming hours. Therefore, all citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately evacuate these areas and move to a safe location without any delay.”
Following the warnings, the Saudi Ministry of Defence stated that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward the Eastern Province.
Meanwhile, a source informed Reuters on Wednesday that liquefied natural gas facilities in Ras Laffan, Qatar, are being evacuated following Iran’s threats to carry out attacks.
The occupation had previously launched an attack on a major natural gas processing facility in southern Iran, resulting in the destruction of storage units and causing significant losses, in what constitutes an escalation targeting civilian economic infrastructure in Iran.
The Hebrew Broadcasting Authority reported that the occupation’s air force struck a gas facility in the Bushehr region in southern Iran, with the attack coordinated with the United States after obtaining its approval.
This marks the second time Iran’s energy infrastructure has been targeted, following last week’s strike on major oil storage tanks in Tehran aimed at pressuring the fuel sector.
The Iranian Fars News Agency reported that massive explosions were heard across several refineries in the South Pars gas field in the Asaluyeh region of southern Iran.
It added that storage units and surrounding areas across various stages of gas processing at the field were hit following an attack carried out by the occupation.
Workers at the facility were transferred to safe areas, while rescue teams are working to extinguish fires resulting from the bombardment.
It further noted that Tehran had warned that if its facilities were targeted, all energy infrastructure serving the United States and the occupation in the region would become legitimate targets for Iran.
The agency quoted a military source stating that targeting the Asaluyeh gas field is a war crime that will not go unanswered.
He added: “We will strike the enemy’s infrastructure following its targeting of the Asaluyeh gas field.”
Oil Prices Rise
Brent crude prices increased as the impact of supply disruptions, ranging from halted production among Gulf producers to new attacks on energy infrastructure in the region, outweighed the positive effects of Iraq resuming oil exports through pipelines to the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
With no indications of a de escalation in the war on Iran, which has significantly disrupted Middle Eastern oil exports, Brent crude futures exceeded 100 dollars per barrel at settlement during the previous four sessions.
Brent crude futures rose by 61 cents, or 0.6 percent, reaching 104.02 dollars per barrel by 11:55 GMT on Wednesday, after dropping earlier in the session to 100.34 dollars.
US West Texas Intermediate crude fell by 1.28 dollars, or more than 1.5 percent, to 110 dollars.
Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, said the divergence between the two crude benchmarks “increasingly reflects the status of West Texas Intermediate as a contract primarily focused on the United States, while global disruptions are more clearly reflected in Brent, its seaborne counterpart.”
Sources at North Oil Company stated that crude oil exports via pipeline resumed after Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government agreed on Tuesday to restart flows. Two oil officials said last week that Iraq aims to pump at least 100,000 barrels per day of crude through the port.
Sujin Kim, an analyst at MUFG, stated: “Despite this development, the easing of supply pressure remains limited, as Iraq’s production stands at about one third of pre crisis levels, and oil tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely constrained.”
Sources reported on March 8 that oil production from major fields in southern Iraq, where most of the country’s crude is produced and exported, fell by 70 percent to just 1.3 million barrels per day, due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the war. Approximately 20 percent of global oil supplies pass through the strait.
