On Thursday (the 19th), the 20th day of the conflict in the Middle East, the focus remained on attacks against energy infrastructure. The topic was commented on by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who stated that Israel “responded violently” by attacking Iran’s main gas field and said that this kind of attack will not be repeated.
However, he also threatened to destroy the Pars Sul gas field in Iran, should the country again target facilities in other countries.
Iran also raised its tone. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the country will show “no restraint” if its facilities are attacked again and that the offensives carried out so far represent only a fraction of Iran’s capacity.
On Wednesday (the 18th), Israel had hit the Iranian gas field, which led Tehran to respond by bombing natural gas facilities in Qatar.
On Thursday, Iran launched a series of attacks on energy structures. One of them hit oil refineries in northern Israel, but did not cause significant damage, according to the Israeli government.
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates also reported being hit. Saudi Arabia said it shot down Iranian drones that had natural gas fields as targets. Bahrain and Kuwait likewise reported being targeted by the Iranian offensive.
Netanyahu Denies Having Convinced Trump
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, denied that he dragged Trump and the United States into war against Iran. “Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?”, he asked.
He also stated that the attack on the Pars Sul gas field was an exclusive action by Israel and declared that Iran “does not have the capacity, at this moment, to enrich uranium nor to manufacture ballistic missiles.”
Trump Says the U.S. Will Not Send Troops
Another topic addressed by Trump this Thursday was the possibility of sending troops for ground combat, which, according to him, is not in the plans at this moment. The president again said that the war is “advanced” and that it should end soon.
Despite the narrative that the end of the conflict is near, the Pentagon asked the American Congress for approval of an additional US$200 billion to fund the war.
Involvement of Other Countries
After NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) leaders refused to join an offensive to open up the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. began seeking support from other countries. The government of Javier Milei, in Argentina, admitted the possibility of militarily backing Washington in the conflict with Iran.
Directly hit by Iranian attacks, Saudi Arabia also considers taking military actions. According to the Saudi Foreign Minister, the country reserves the right to act militarily against Iran and any trust in Tehran has been destroyed.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan limited themselves to condemning the recent Iranian attacks on oil and gas facilities and calling for the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
