Trump says US 'knew nothing' about Israel's attack on major Iran gas field

Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US "knew nothing" about Israel's strike on a major gas field in Iran. He warned Tehran not to retaliate further against Qatar.

Israel targeted the South Pars gas site, and Iran caused "extensive damage" with missile attacks on a major energy industry site in Qatar. The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf. Israel is also fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, where more than a million people have been displaced. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned of "consequences beyond control, the scope of which would engulf the entire world". Iran retaliated by striking Qatar’s Ras Laffan site on Wednesday and early on Thursday. QatarEnergy said "extensive damage" had been caused to the site, but all personnel were accounted for. Qatar’s interior ministry said all fires at the energy facility had been brought under control without any reported injuries after the site was hit for a second time.

Donald Trump threatened that the US would "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" if Iran struck Qatar again. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman said "the Israeli targeting of facilities linked to Iran’s South Pars field, an extension of Qatar’s North Field" was a "dangerous and irresponsible step". The Qatari government described the first Iranian attack on its Ras Laffan oil site as "brazen" and a "direct threat to its national security and the stability of the region". Qatar "reserves its right to respond". Two Iranian diplomats and their staff were ordered to leave Qatar within 24 hours.