Middle East war: why attacks on gasfields like South Pars are a major escalation

A cargo ship sails in the Arabian Gulf towards Strait of Hormuz in United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Strikes by both sides on so-called upstream gas production facilities in recent days are a significant escalation in the war in the Middle East, with potentially long-term consequences.

The strikes were the first time facilities associated with the production of fossil fuel energy had been hit in the conflict, rather than sites associated more generally with the oil and gas industry.