Trump threatens to 'massively blow up' major Iranian gas field

[Twiglets1]

Donald Trump has just issued a long Truth Social post about an Israeli attack on the South Pars gas field in Iran on Wednesday night.

In retaliation for that strike, Iran attacked Qatar's Ras Laffan - an industrial area that contains the world's biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing facility.

In his strongly-worded post, Trump says the US "knew nothing" of Israel's strike, and threatens an escalation if Iran attacks Qatar again.

"Out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East", Israel "violently lashed out", Trump writes.

He goes on: "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."

But Iran didn't know this, Trump writes, and that its retaliatory attacks on Qatar's Ras Laffan were made "unjustifiably and unfairly".

Trump writes - in capitals - that Israel will not attack Iran's South Pars gas field again, "unless Iran unwisely decides to attack" another innocent nation, which in this case was Qatar.

It Iran does strike Qatar again, Trump threatens that the US will "will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before".

He adds that he doesn't want to authorise "this level of violence and destruction because of the long term implications" for Iran, "but if Qatar's LNG is again attacked, I will not hesitate to do so."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c24d410m3g4t

Qatar Condemns in Strongest Terms Iranian Targeting of Energy Facilities in Saudi Arabia and UAE

Doha | March 19, 2026

The State of Qatar condemns in the strongest terms the Iranian targeting of energy facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the past two days, deeming it a blatant violation of international law and a serious threat to global energy security, navigation, and the environment.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that Iran's brutal attacks on countries in the region have crossed all red lines by targeting civilians, civilian objects, and vital facilities, stressing the need to spare the region the consequences of these unjustified attacks and to work towards de-escalation to restore regional and international security and stability.

The Ministry reiterates the State of Qatar's full solidarity with the brotherly nations and its support for all measures they take to safeguard their sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.

https://mofa.gov.qa/en/latest-articles/statements/qatar-condemns-in-strongest-terms-iranian-targeting-of-energy-facilities-in-saudi-arabia-and-uae

But.. the newspapers were reporting yesterday that US was aware of Israel's attacks on South Pars and had coordinated it with them.
I will look for a link.

This, from the Guardian live feed, yesterday

News sources can be wrong ...

Now the tune of who knew or did not know, who ordered or did know is, YET AGAIN, changing.
I think they ought to the world to say, at least, a piece of the Truth.
While they destroy the source of heating and food preparation and hot water and industry to millions of people, rise prices well beyond what we can pay and throw us into another Great (even Greater!) Depression.
I wish they had not done it, neither that Iran had retaliated in kind. And I hope they stop it, now. I hope they can control the fires.....

It is not the first, or second, or third.. time that Trump changes his mind about things like this!

Of course Qatar and the UAE are going to be miffed if their sources of wealth and control are blown up!

Trump is going to start blaming everyone else because it hasn't gone the way he wanted it to and he is out of his depth with how to resolve anything.

The problem that Trump doesn’t realise that the Iranian regime have gone scorched earth and are acting more like underground freedom fighters than a country. They’re digging in because the principle is more important than the outcome. A month ago the average Iranian was against the regime but now who knows? They thought American and Israel would save them, not bring war and food shortages.

Trump doesn’t realise that and wants his Venezuela moment.

It’s hard to see how this will end well.

I can imagine yesterday's phone calls!

How do you know he changed his mind?

The initial newspaper reports were relying on "sources" to know or tell the truth about what Trump did or did not know.

To me his tone suggests he is actually annoyed with Netanyahu for lashing out and is telling him fiercely (in capitals no less!) that "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".

Qatar and UAE very miffed indeed.

See the Joint statement issued today by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/conflict-in-the-middle-east/5505582-arab-and-regional-ministers-condemn-iranian-attacks-and-urge-de-escalation

The people may want this to be where they are no longer oppressed, given the murders of protestors and gang rape of nurses who helped them.

But I agree the IRGC is going scorched earth and would at any point in the near future if they had greater weapons. If they had more capacity to attack Qatar and neighbours who shouldn’t be in line for it they’d like use it.

@Twiglets1 it is clear that they are having communication issues between US and Israel about why they started this war, what the objectives are and now whether they knew or did not know about an attack.
The attack happened yesterday. I think the White House only issued a statement today. For such a big thing, it is quite a bit of a time gap. And I am not convinced that Trump did not know ahead of time and did not authorise.
Anyway, they want to present it as Israel acting on its own... in the middle of a joint campaign?!?!?! It does not paint a pretty picture, does it? That they would not seek each others opinion and approval before attacking something like a gas facility.
It is not something to be miffed about. The words are rather stronger than miffed.

Believe what you want to believe @MushMonster

Trump at no point said himself that he wanted to bomb the South Pars gas field. So you are choosing to believe "sources" saying what they thought he said over what he actually said (in writing).

The attacks happened Wednesday night and it's now Thursday morning and yet you are are trying to claim that is a "time gap". Hmm ... not really.

Even Trump has to sleep sometimes.

Yes, for two countries that are ar war together, not addressing that one did something without the other knowing immediately is quite surprising.
Of course it is what I think. I am not claiming I was there when they told or did not tell others. But that there were reports. Interestingly enough, the reports mention Israeli officials as the source.
Who certainly did not seem to know was the rest of ME countries, who are the ones with the target on their backs in retaliation to this. And the rest of the world, who will suffer due to supply and price madness.
They really ought to stop lashing out in anger and act like responsible adults, maybe?

Trump has a whole White House and Defence department to address things at night......

Yes but I imagine Trump would need to authorise the wording on such an important subject. He does shoot from the hip a lot but still … can’t agree that a few hours between the event happening and Trump making a statement is a significant “time gap”.

Trump often uses capital letters in his rants on Truth Social, are you implying that makes him more believable?

Trump rarely sleeps, frontotemporal dementia is bugger for sleep. I also would not expect him to remember if he agreed this or not. I’m inclined to believe he agreed it.

No.

He does it for emphasis so all I can take from the capitals is that he is being emphatic about Netanyahu not attacking the South Pars field again (without his endorsement).

Being emphatic is not something I would associate with Trump and his TS posts.

But as you told another poster, believe what you want to believe.

He uses capitals because his command of the english language is so poor.

How does using capitals help him with that?

It's not going to end well. It didn't even start well.😒

There was no plan and no clear objective.
Most of those who could have taken over from the regime have been killed. By Iraqi forces during the uprising and by the US and Israel in this war.
Trump seriously underestimated Iran.
Netenyahu is going rogue.
The war has failed and its impact is devastating the ME, the global economy and the environment.

I hear Putin's doing well though.

What’s happening now would be bigger by order of magnitude if Iran had greater weapons. Waiting for scorched earth coming back by whatever fold seems risky.