Mohammad Sıo
18 March 2026•Update: 19 March 2026
ISTANBUL
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned Wednesday of imminent strikes on major oil and gas facilities in Gulf countries, urging civilians and workers to evacuate areas near key energy infrastructure.
According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC issued an “urgent warning” to citizens and residents near several facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
The statement listed multiple sites it described as “direct and legitimate targets,” including the SAMREF refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia, the Al Hosn gas field in the UAE, and the Mesaieed petrochemical complex and Ras Laffan refinery in Qatar.
The IRGC called on civilians, residents, and employees to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without delay, warning that the sites could be targeted “within the coming hours.”
It said that repeated warnings had previously been issued to Gulf governments, accusing them of pursuing what it described as a “dangerous path.”
The warnings come after Iranian media reported a US-Israeli airstrike on gas storage tanks at Iran’s South Pars field in the southern city of Asaluyeh on Wednesday, halting production at two refineries with a combined capacity of about 100 million cubic meters per day.
The attack came as the US and Israel have continued a joint offensive on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
