Adds Iranian response in paragraphs 1-6
Iran said on Wednesday it will retaliate against US and Israeli strikes on its gas treatment facilities, naming specific downstream facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar as "legitimate targets."
In a statement carried by state media, Iran's armed forces said the 400,000 b/d Samref refinery at Yanbu and the Sadara petrochemical complex at Jubail in Saudi Arabia, Qatar Chemical in Doha, the 305,000 b/d Ras Laffan refinery, north of Doha, and the Al-Hosn sour gas field in Abu Dhabi are "direct and legitimate targets" to "be targeted in the coming hours". It advised "all citizens, residents and employees" to leave the facilities and the areas around them.
"Prior to this, clear and repeated warnings were given to your rulers about entering this dangerous path and gambling with the fate of their nations," it said. "But they chose to continue on the path of blind obedience and make decisions that do net reflect the will of their people, but are imposed on them from outside their borders."
This latest escalation sent energy prices higher. The Dutch TTF European gas benchmark rose by 5pc in the hour following the news, and the front-month Ice Brent crude contract was up by more than 6pc on the day at just below $110/bl.
All five facilities named by Iran are at least part owned by US companies. ExxonMobil is a stakeholder in Samref and Qatar's Ras Laffan refinery, US independent Occidental is a stakeholder at Al-Hosn, Dow Chemical holds a stake in Sadara, and Chevron in Qatar Chemical.
The threats from Tehran come shortly after state media said four gas treatment facilities in southern Iran were damaged by US and Israeli drones, the second time the country's downstream energy infrastructure has been hit since the war began on 28 February.
The US and Israeli attacks targeted gas treatment plants in Assaluyeh that process sour gas from phases 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the offshore South Pars gas field, state media said. The governor of Assaluyeh, Eskandar Pasalar, said the facilities have "been taken offline" to control and prevent the spread of fire.
This will have probably resulted also in a reduction in production from the offshore platforms linked to those facilities, but the authorities have not disclosed how much.
South Pars, which Iran shares with Qatar, is the world's largest gas field with 24 development phases. It has been in production since 2002 and accounts for between 70pc and 75pc of Iranian gas production. The field also supplies a significant share of feedstock for Iran's petrochemical and gasoline production.
The Qatari portion of the field is known as the North Field. The Qatari foreign ministry called today's attacks "dangerous and irresponsible".
They are the second attacks by Israel and the US on Iranian downstream facilities since the start of the war.
Prior attacks have targeted oil storage depots in Karaj, Shahran, Aghdasieh and Shahr-e Rey ꟷ all areas in or around the capital Tehran.
State media said the 220,000 b/d state-owned Tehran refinery was also damaged as a result of those strikes, although the extent is unclear.
The onshore gas treatment facilities in Assaluyeh were also targeted during Iran's 12-day war with Israel in June. That time, the plant that processes sour gas from phase 14 was struck, causing a fire and disrupting production.
Iran resumed operations at the plant within two weeks of that strike.
Further strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure could threaten up to 3.4mn b/d of crude output and around 1.5mn b/d of exports.
