Headlines
Trump Says Israel Attacked Iran Gas Field Without US and Qatari Involvement, Warns Against Attacks on Qatar
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 19, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 19, 2026
Quick Summary
President Trump denied U.S. or Qatari involvement in Israel’s March 18, 2026, strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, warned Israel would refrain from further attacks unless Iran targets Qatar, and threatened U.S. retaliation—which sparked fresh volatility in global energy markets.
Trump: Israel Attacked Iranian Gas Field Without US, Qatar Involvement Amid Gulf Tensions
Main Developments in the Gulf Tensions
By Kanishka Singh
Trump's Statement on the South Pars Attack
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Wednesday the attack on Iran's South Pars gas field was carried out by Israel, and the U.S. and Qatar were not involved in it.
Trump also said Israel would not make any more attacks on Iranian facilities in South Pars unless Iran attacked Qatar, warning that the U.S. would attack those facilities if Iran acted against Doha.
Clarification of U.S. and Qatar's Roles
"The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Background and Reactions
Israel's Position and Advance Knowledge
Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility for the South Pars attack. According to the Wall Street Journal and Axios, Trump knew of Israel's plan to attack the Iranian part of the world's largest natural gas deposit in advance and supported it. Iran shares the South Pars field with Qatar, a close U.S. ally.
Iran's Response and Escalation
Iran had said earlier that Israel struck its facilities in South Pars on Wednesday in a major escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that sent oil prices shooting higher.
Tehran's Retaliation
Tehran retaliated by promising attacks on oil and gas targets throughout the Gulf, firing missiles at Saudi Arabia and also hitting Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, an energy-industry hub.
Qatar's Reaction
Doha rebuked Israel for a "dangerous and irresponsible" attack on Iran's South Pars facilities, and condemned Iran for what it called "a flagrant breach" of international law, expelling two senior Iranian diplomats.
Further Statements and Consequences
Trump's Social Media Comments
Trump wrote on social media that Iran "unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar's LNG Gas facility."
"NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar - In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field."
Wider Impact of the Conflict
The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28. The attacks have killed thousands in Iran, including its supreme leader and security chief.
Tehran has responded with its own attacks against Israel and Gulf countries that host U.S. military bases. The war has shaken markets and caused unprecedented disruption to oil supplies fuelling a surge in prices.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kate Mayberry)
Key Takeaways
- •Trump distanced the U.S. and Qatar from the South Pars strike, attributing it solely to Israel, per his Truth Social post and Reuters coverage (apnews.com).
- •The strike on South Pars—a field critical to Iran’s gas supply and shared with Qatar—halted significant production (around 12 million m³/day) and jolted oil and gas markets, with Brent prices spiking to over $108–109/barrel (en.wikipedia.org).
- •Trump warned that any future Iranian attack on Qatar would prompt the U.S.—with or without Israel’s consent—to “massively blow up the entirety” of the South Pars field, signaling a dramatic potential escalation (apnews.com).
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Trump says Israel attacked Iran gas field without US and Qatari involvement, warns against attacks on Qatar
1Who did Trump say was responsible for the attack on Iran's South Pars gas field?
Trump stated that Israel was responsible for the attack, and the US or Qatar were not involved.
2What warning did Trump issue regarding attacks on Qatar?
Trump warned that the US would retaliate against Iran if it attacked Qatar, regardless of Israeli involvement.
3How did the South Pars attack impact oil prices?
The attack caused oil prices to surge due to increased disruption in Gulf energy supplies.
4Did Israel claim responsibility for the attack on South Pars?
Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack on Iran's South Pars gas field.
5What action did Qatar take following the attacks?
Qatar condemned both the Israeli attack on Iran and Iran's retaliatory strikes, expelling two Iranian diplomats.
