Israel has attempted to deliver a major economic blow to Iran by attacking Iran’s South Pars Gas Field, after which Iran has stated that it will target natural gas/oil sources in the Middle East.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): The America-Israel-Iran war appears to be becoming a major challenge for the entire world. On the 19th day of the war, Israel targeted Iran’s South Pars Gas Field, after which crude oil prices are touching the skies. According to the latest reports, the price of crude oil in the international market has crossed $110 per barrel.
South Pars Gas Field (the world’s largest natural gas field, shared between Iran and Qatar) was attacked by Israel today (March 18, 2026). This is the biggest and most direct attack on Iran’s energy sector carried out by Israel during the war that has been ongoing since February 28, 2026.
The Israeli Air Force targeted gas processing and treatment facilities (such as Phases 3-6) associated with South Pars in the Asaluyeh area of Iran’s southern Bushehr province. This is the first time in the war that a direct attack has been made on Iran’s upstream (production) energy facilities.
South Pars is the main source of 70-75% of Iran’s natural gas and electricity, which could lead to an increased energy crisis in Iran. Gas supply from Iran to Iraq has stopped, resulting in the shutdown of power plants generating 3100 MW of electricity.
In addition, on March 18, 2026, Israel killed Iran’s Intelligence Minister (Minister of Intelligence) Esmaeil Khatib. This attack was carried out via a targeted airstrike in Tehran and is part of Israel’s ongoing series of attacks on Iran’s leadership during the war.
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Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Khatib was “eliminated” in the overnight attack. The Israeli military (IDF) described it as a “targeted strike” and stated that Khatib was the main architect of Iran’s internal repression system and the mechanism for assassinating opponents.
Iran has also confirmed this. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian described it as a “cowardly assassination” in a post on social media. Iranian state media and the presidency have also confirmed Khatib’s death.
Iran described this as an “American-Zionist” attack and threatened to take revenge. The IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) declared energy facilities in Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar) as “legitimate targets” and issued evacuation warnings. According to the IRGC, their targets include Saudi Arabia’s Samref Refinery, Jubail Petrochemical Complex, UAE’s Al Hosn Gas Field, and Qatar’s Mesaieed and Ras Laffan Petrochemical/Refinery facilities.