Doha/Abu Dhabi: Iranian missile strikes hit Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial city, the country’s main liquefied natural gas hub, causing extensive damage to energy facilities, while the United Arab Emirates suspended operations at key gas sites after intercepting missiles, officials said on Thursday. The developments have heightened concerns over regional stability and potential disruption to global energy supplies.

QatarEnergy said emergency response teams were deployed immediately after the attack to contain fires at Ras Laffan, which were brought under control by early Thursday. Qatar’s interior ministry confirmed no casualties. The facility is central to Qatar’s LNG production, making it critical to both domestic output and international energy markets.

Ras Laffan, located about 80 kilometres north of Doha, hosts major international energy companies, including Shell. The company said it was assessing the potential impact on its assets and operations. QatarEnergy reported that the Pearl gas-to-liquids plant sustained significant damage, while multiple LNG facilities were also affected, triggering large fires.

The strikes followed Iranian warnings for evacuations near energy installations across parts of the Gulf, issued after reported attacks on Iran’s own gas infrastructure in South Pars and Asaluyeh. The sequence of events marks a sharp escalation involving key energy assets on both sides.

Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned the attack, calling it a direct threat to national security, and ordered Iranian military and security attaches to leave the country within 24 hours, declaring them persona non grata.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned against further strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure, stating there would be a strong response if attacks continued.

UAE suspends gas facility operations

In the UAE, authorities said falling debris from intercepted missiles caused incidents at the Habshan gas processing complex and the Bab oil field. Operations at both sites were temporarily halted as a precautionary measure.

The Abu Dhabi Media Office said no injuries were reported. The Habshan complex, operated by ADNOC, is among the world’s largest gas processing facilities, with a capacity of approximately 6.1 billion standard cubic feet per day.

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Qatar produces about 77 million metric tons of LNG annually and is one of the world’s leading exporters. Ras Laffan serves as the backbone of this output, and any sustained disruption could affect supply chains and pricing in global energy markets.