President of the United States, Donald Trump, has said the U.S. had no prior knowledge of Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, while distancing Qatar from the incident.
He made this known on March 19, 2026, in a post on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns.
In his statement, Trump said the United States was unaware of the attack and insisted that Qatar had no involvement or prior knowledge of the strike, even though Iran appeared to believe otherwise and retaliated against a Qatari gas facility.
What Trump is saying
Trump began by describing the circumstances surrounding the strike, saying Israel acted out of anger amid tensions in the Middle East.
- “Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran.”
He went on to clarify that neither the United States nor Qatar had any foreknowledge of the operation.
- “The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen.”
Trump also stated that Israel would refrain from further attacks on the facility, but issued a strong warning over any future retaliation targeting Qatar’s LNG infrastructure.
- “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL… unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar — in which instance the United States… will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field…”
Backstory
On March 18, Nairametrics reported that Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest natural gas deposit, marking a significant escalation in tensions across the Gulf.
- Iranian authorities confirmed that parts of the facility, including gas storage tanks and sections of a refinery, were hit, forcing workers to evacuate as emergency responders battled a fire at the site.
Following the attack, Iranian officials warned that regional energy infrastructure could become targets in retaliation.
- “These centres have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours. Therefore, all citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without any delay,” Iranian state media quoted officials as saying.
What you should know
The South Pars gas field is the Iranian portion of the world’s largest natural gas reserve, which it shares with Qatar, where it is known as the North Field.
Spanning about 3,700 square kilometres—larger than Lagos State—the field is a cornerstone of Iran’s energy sector, supplying a significant share of its domestic gas needs and underpinning its export ambitions.
Any disruption to the facility has far-reaching implications, not just for Iran’s economy, but also for regional and global energy markets, given its strategic importance.
