Iran threatens to destroy energy industry, UAE suspends gas operation

The Iran-Israel conflict has taken a sharp turn into the energy sector, with strikes on one of the world’s largest gas fields and a major LNG hub raising fears of wider disruption to global supply. Iranian state media said Wednesday that Israel attacked the South Pars natural gas field, a critical energy source for the country located along its Gulf coastline near Asaluyeh. Fires were reported at facilities linked to the field, which supplies about 80% of Iran’s natural gas. Operations have been suspended at the United Arab Emirates’ Habshan gas facility as authorities respond to two incidents of fallen debris after the successful interception of a missile, Abu Dhabi’s media office says early Thursday. Bab oil field was also targeted, the office adds. No injuries are reported.

An attack struck the South Pars petrochemical facilities in Asaluyeh in southern Iran, videos sent to Iran International show. pic.twitter.com/d7ZES9VDwB

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) March 18, 2026

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia reserves the right to take military actions “if deemed necessary” following Iranian attacks on Gulf countries, the kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan says. He also says that he doesn’t know when the war will end.
Kuwait has arrested 10 militants affiliated with the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah terror group, who are accused of plotting “terrorist” actions against vital infrastructure, the interior ministry says. This is the second Hezbollah-affiliated cell to be arrested in Kuwait this week, as the Gulf faces daily Iranian attacks during the Middle East war, which has seen Tehran-backed groups including Hezbollah join the conflict.The ministry shares a video of seized items including Hezbollah flags, small drones and pictures of Iran’s slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Hezbollah’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli attack.
On Monday, Kuwait’s interior ministry said it arrested 16 people — 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals — affiliated with Hezbollah who had planned a “sabotage plot”. The ministry said the group had sought to recruit individuals and that it seized a number of weapons, camera drones and morse code communication devices. Hezbollah denied that any of its members were among the 16 arrested.