Tasnim news agency reports that US and Israeli forces attacked oil industry facilities at Iran’s South Pars field and Asaluyeh region, marking an escalation in the targeting of the country’s energy infrastructure amid ongoing regional war.Oil industry facilities at the South Pars field and in the Asaluyeh region in southern Iran have been attacked, the Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday.According to reports, US and “Israel” attacked gas facilities about an hour ago.Iranian state TV reports that phases 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the South Pars gas field were struck, marking a significant hit to key energy infrastructure.Israeli occupation regime officials confirmed that they bombed Iran’s largest natural gas processing facility in Bushehr Province this morning, while Iranian reports say strikes hit South Pars and Asaluyeh, forcing several phases offline.European gas prices jumped 6% after the attacks on Iranian gas facilities, surpassing $650 per 1,000 cubic meters for the first time since March 9, according to trading data.استهدفت إسرائيل منشأة بوشهر التي تتعامل مع 40% من الغاز الإيراني، وتذكر إسرائيل أن الهجوم حدث بالتنسيق مع الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.هذا الهجوم سيجر المنطقة إلى تصعيد أكبر، وقد يتسبب في مهاجمة المنشآت النفطية العربية، وهذا ما يصبّ أيضاً في المصلحة الإسرائيلية .إسرائيل وأمريكا… pic.twitter.com/7A9daaUgJS— Tamer | تامر (@tamerqdh) March 18, 2026Context: Strategic importance of South Pars and regional energy warThe South Pars field is the world’s largest natural gas field, located in the Gulf area and jointly owned by Iran and Qatar. The attack on facilities in the Asaluyeh region represents a significant escalation in the targeting of Iran’s energy infrastructure.The attacks come amid a widening energy war across the region. Since the United States and “Israel” launched their aggression against Iran on February 28, Tehran has been targeting the energy infrastructure of its Gulf Arab neighbors as part of a strategy to drive up oil prices and put pressure on Washington.The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, has surged more than 40% since the start of the war, remaining stubbornly over $100 per barrel.Previous attacks on Iran’s oil infrastructureThe US previously attacked Iran’s Kharg Island in the Gulf region, the country’s main oil terminal.On Friday, US President Donald Trump said American forces “obliterated” targets on Kharg Island, though he stated they “left its oil infrastructure alone for now.”However, Trump warned that if Iran continues to interfere with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, he would “reconsider his decision not to ‘wipe out the Oil Infrastructure.'”Iran Strikes 100 Israeli Targets to Avenge Security Council Chief Larijani’s AssassinationNuclear dimensionThe attacks on energy infrastructure follow a missile attack on Tuesday evening that hit the premises of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, located in the same province as the South Pars field.The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed it had been informed by Iran that a projectile struck the plant, though no damage to the facility or injuries to staff were reported. The IAEA’s Director General, Rafael Grossi, reiterated his call “for maximum restraint during the conflict to prevent risk of a nuclear accident.”Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency both reported on the attack targeting facilities at Asaluyeh. It remains unclear precisely which facilities were hit or the extent of the damage.Iran threatens retaliation against US energy infrastructureThe Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters vowed to destroy all US-related energy infrastructure in the region and turn it into a “pile of ashes” if Iran’s oil, economic, and energy infrastructure is attacked.Kharg Island is located about 30 kilometers from the coast, containing the largest oil export terminal in Iran, through which about 90% of its crude oil exports pass, according to a recent report issued by the American bank JPMorgan.The island remains a critical hub for Iran’s energy sector, making any escalation around it a potential factor in global energy market volatility. (Al Mayadeen – English)