REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON \u2013 The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported\non Wednesday (18\/3\/2026) that the President of the United States (US)\nhas asked Israel to stop attacking Iranian energy facilities after the\nlargest gas refinery centre in southern Pars, Iran, was bombed in a\nZionist airstrike. The WSJ report also stated that Trump initially gave\nthe green light to Israel to launch the attack on Pars.<\/p>\n
Trump is now asking Israel not to target Iranian energy facilities\nany longer. Trump\u2019s request became known after Iran launched retaliatory\nstrikes targeting refineries in Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar,\nand Bahrain.<\/p>\n
According to WSJ sources, the reason Trump approved Israel\u2019s attack\non the South Pars gas field was as a message to Tehran over actions to\nclose the Strait of Hormuz. Washington, according to those sources, is\ncurrently awaiting Iran\u2019s response on whether it will make a strategic\ndecision regarding the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s comments coincide with an attack on Qatar\u2019s Ras Laffan\nIndustrial City on Wednesday night, which caused a major fire and severe\ndamage. The attack followed Iran\u2019s promise of retaliation for Israel\u2019s\nstrike on the southern Pars gas field.<\/p>\n
Al Jazeera reported that the facility, located in the northeast of\nthe country, is the world\u2019s largest liquid natural gas (LNG) production\nfacility. Qatar itself produces 20 percent of global LNG output.<\/p>\n
Qatar\u2019s Ministry of Defence stated that the Gulf state was attacked\nby Iran, involving five ballistic missiles. Its statement, published on\nX, said that the country\u2019s armed forces intercepted four missiles, while\none missile fell in Ras Laffan Industrial City, causing a fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cCivil Defence teams are currently responding and working to\nextinguish the fire,\u201d the ministry said. After the initial attack,\nQatar\u2019s Ministry of Defence reported that its air defences successfully\nintercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at Ras Laffan.<\/p>\n
QatarEnergy confirmed that Ras Laffan Industrial City was targeted by\na missile attack overnight. \u201cEmergency response teams were immediately\ndeployed to extinguish the fire, as severe damage has occurred. All\npersonnel have been mobilised, and no casualties have been reported at\nthis time,\u201d the company stated.<\/p>\n
It is noteworthy that Qatar is one of the Gulf states providing a\nmilitary base for the United States. Al Udeid Air Base in the country is\nthe largest US military installation in the Middle East, housing around\n10,000 US personnel and serving as the headquarters of the US Central\nCommand (CENTCOM). Al Udeid is the main hub for US air operations and\nintelligence in the Middle East.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trump-asks-israel-to-stop-attacking-energy-facilities-after-iran-bombards-gulf-state-oil-refineries-1773877851", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }