Iranian Missile Strike Causes Significant Damage at Ras Laffan LNG Complex, Qatar

Iran launched a missile strike on Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar on Wednesday, causing fires and significant damage to the world's largest LNG export terminal, state petroleum company QatarEnergy confirmed. The full scale of the damage is still being assessed.

Bystander video and NASA FIRMS infrared data confirmed at least two separate fires at the facility, with heat signatures recorded in areas that do not normally generate thermal readings. QatarEnergy stated that the extent of effects across the complex remained under evaluation. The exact systems affected — LNG liquefaction trains, natural gas liquids separation plants, or utility infrastructure including water desalination and power generation — have not been confirmed.

Ras Laffan is the single production site for approximately one-fifth of global LNG supply. Any damage to liquefaction trains would carry significant consequences for international energy markets. On Thursday, European natural gas prices rose approximately 30 percent from the start, reflecting the EU's dependence on LNG imports. QatarEnergy had previously suspended exports from the terminal in anticipation of a potential strike.

The attack followed Israeli strikes earlier on Wednesday at Asaluyeh, Iran, a processing hub for the South Pars natural gas field — the largest natural gas reservoir in the world, whose reserves are shared between Iran and Qatar. A U.S. defense official confirmed to Axios that the Israeli operation at South Pars was approved in advance by the White House.

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