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Iran Claims Kharg Island Normal After US Strikes; Qatar LNG Hit

Iranian state media asserts that the situation on Kharg Island, home to major oil terminals, remains normal and under control despite recent US airstrikes targeting military sites. Former US President Donald Trump stated the US destroyed everything on the island except the oil infrastructure. In a related escalation, Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City and other LNG facilities were hit by Iranian missile attacks, causing extensive damage. These strikes are retaliation for an attack on Iran's South Pars Gas field and have driven energy prices higher with no immediate resolution in sight.

Key Points: Iran Says Kharg Island Normal Post-US Strikes; Qatar LNG Attacked

  • Iran claims normal operations on Kharg Island
  • US targeted military infrastructure, not oil pipes
  • Qatar's LNG facilities hit by Iranian missiles
  • Attacks are retaliation for strikes on Iran's gas field
  • Energy prices surge amid ongoing conflict
2 min read

Situation normal on Kharg Island despite US strikes, claims Iran's state media

Iranian state media claims normalcy on Kharg Island after US airstrikes, while Qatar's LNG facilities suffer missile attacks, escalating energy prices.

"We attacked Kharg Island and knocked it. We destroyed everything on the island except for the area where the oil is. - Donald Trump"

Tehran, March 19

Iranian state media, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, claimed that the situation remains normal and under control on Iran's Kharg Island, which hosts Iran's major oil export terminals, despite recent US airstrikes.

In a video posted on Thursday, the IRIB stated operations are currently underway at the plant, following a US bombing targeting military infrastructure on the island.

Earlier on Monday, Trump said that the US has destroyed Kharg Island in Iran, except for areas where the oil is.

"We attacked Kharg Island and knocked it. We destroyed everything on the island except for the area where the oil is. We left the pipes. We didn't want to do that, but we will do that," he said.

"But for purposes of someday rebuilding that country, I guess we did the right thing... We are aggressively dismantling Iran's defence industrial base, and its ability to rebuild its missiles and drone capability is getting close to zero. We're hammering their capacity to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz with more than 30 mine-laying ships destroyed," he added.

According to Press TV, the strikes did not hit Iranian energy infrastructure but caused damage to military sites on the two islands.

Earlier today, Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City was hit by ballistic missiles from Iran, resulting in extensive damage, as per the country's Ministry of Defence. The attack is the second at the largest liquefaction facility in the world.

According to QatarEnergy, several of its LNG facilities were also subject to Iranian missile attacks after the attack on Ras Laffan.

"In addition to the previous attack on Ras Laffan Industrial City on Wednesday that resulted in extensive damage to the Pearl GTL (Gas-to-Liquids) facility, QatarEnergy confirms that in the early hours of Thursday, several of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities were the subject of missile attacks, causing sizeable fires and extensive further damage. Emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the resulting damage with no reported casualties," it stated.

This strike comes in retaliation from Iran after Israel struck the Islamic Republic's South Pars Gas field.

The attack on Iran's Gas field and Qatar's LNG facilities has sent energy prices up further, with little sign of any resolution to the conflict soon.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
It's hard to know what to believe. Iranian state media says everything is normal, while the US claims massive destruction. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. The real victims are the ordinary people caught in this geopolitical game.
V
Vikram M
The timing is terrible for India. With elections around the corner, a spike in petrol and diesel prices is the last thing any government wants. Hope our foreign ministry is working overtime behind the scenes to calm things down. Jai Hind.
P
Priya S
Both sides need to show restraint. This tit-for-tat targeting of energy infrastructure is reckless and hurts the entire global economy, especially developing nations like ours. The UN Security Council must step in.
R
Rohit P
"We left the pipes. We didn't want to do that, but we will do that." What kind of statement is this from a world leader? Sounds more like a threat from a movie villain than diplomatic language. This arrogance is unsettling.
K
Karthik V
Our strategic interests are clear: stability in the Gulf. We have strong ties with both Qatar (for LNG) and Iran (for Chabahar port). This conflict puts us in a very delicate position. Time for quiet, effective diplomacy, not loud statements.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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