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.
Trump began by describing the circumstances surrounding the strike, saying Israel acted out of anger amid tensions in the Middle East.
He went on to clarify that neither the United States nor Qatar had any foreknowledge of the operation.
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.
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.
Following the attack, Iranian officials warned that regional energy infrastructure could become targets in retaliation.
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.