Qatar declared the military and security attaches of the Iranian Embassy, along with their staff, persona non grata on Wednesday, ordering them to leave within 24 hours. The decision followed repeated Iranian attacks and acts of aggression toward Qatar.
The move came after an Iranian missile struck Ras Laffan Industrial City, northeast of Doha, home to the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility. QatarEnergy confirmed “extensive damage” but reported no casualties. Civil defense teams worked to contain fires at the facility, which produces around 20 percent of the world’s LNG supply.
Iran names targets, then attacks
Earlier, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency issued a warning naming five energy facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar for imminent attack. In Qatar, the targeted sites included Ras Laffan Refinery and Mesaieed Petrochemical Complex and Holding Company. Authorities evacuated the facilities in response.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said its armed forces intercepted four of five launched missiles, but one struck Ras Laffan, igniting fires at the complex 80 km northeast of Doha.
Diplomatic and regional fallout
Qatar condemned the strike as “a dangerous escalation, a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, and a direct threat to national security.” The ministry warned it would take all necessary measures to protect its territory and urged the UN Security Council to enforce Resolution 2817, which condemns Iranian attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council states.
The incident occurred the same day Israeli strikes targeted Iran’s South Pars gas field, the shared reservoir with Qatar’s North Field. Qatar’s foreign ministry warned that attacks on energy infrastructure threaten global energy security. Brent crude rose 3.8% to $107.38 per barrel, while European gas benchmarks jumped 6%.
Three weeks of escalating conflict
Relations between Doha and Tehran collapsed rapidly. Just months earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Qatar and affirmed no differences between the nations. Qatar had historically acted as a mediator between Iran and the West and facilitated a 2023 prisoner exchange.
The conflict escalated after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian retaliation across the Gulf. Qatari air defenses intercepted 66 missiles on that day, though shrapnel injured 16 people. By March 2, Qatari F-15s engaged and shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers, marking Qatar’s first air-to-air combat.
Drones targeted Ras Laffan and Mesaieed Industrial City, forcing QatarEnergy to halt LNG production and declare force majeure, sending global gas prices up nearly 50%. On March 3, an Iranian ballistic missile directly struck Al Udeid Air Base, after which Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani suspended all diplomatic mediation with Iran.
Also read: Human casualties from the war in the Middle East
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