19 March,2026 10:25 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
US President Donald Trump. File Pic
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has taken responsibility for attacks on oil facilities that it said were linked to the United States in the region, reported the ANI.
The IRGC stated that the strikes were part of the 63rd wave of its ongoing retaliatory operation, Operation True Promise 4, which was launched following US-Israel strikes on Iran.
The IRGC's Public Relations Office said in a statement that the 63rd wave of attacks was carried out with full force as part of its ongoing Operation True Promise 4. It added that this wave was launched in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib and others during what it described as an act of aggression, according to the ANI.
The Corps added that the strikes were also a response to attempts by adversaries to punish Iran for nationwide rallies in support of the country's Islamic establishment and in protest against external aggression.
The IRGC further said, "the attack on Iran's energy infrastructure took the conflict to a new stage. The Islamic Republic did not intend to expand the war to oil facilities and did not wish to harm the economies of friendly and neighboring countries. However, with the enemy's aggression against energy infrastructure, Iran has effectively entered a new stage of the conflict, and the necessity to defend the country's energy infrastructure compelled a retaliatory strike against American-linked energy facilities," the news agency reported.
The IRGC claimed to have hit as many as 80 military and military-support targets in several locations across Israel. These included Rishon LeZion, Ramla, and Lod in central Israel, Eilat in the south, Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak east of Tel Aviv and Bat Yam and Holon south of Tel Aviv.
The military said all targets were struck surgically using multi-warhead missiles and attack drones. The IRGC also issued a warning to US and Israeli forces saying, "if this is repeated, subsequent attacks on your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will not cease until total destruction, and our response will be far more severe than tonight's strikes," as per the ANI.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that the United States and Qatar were not aware of the attacks. He clarified that Israel would not target Qatar's South Pars LNG field unless Iran attacks Qatar first.
Trump stated that Washington would not hesitate to authorize a strong response against Iran if Qatar's energy facilities are targeted again. In a post on Truth Social, he said, "The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way involved, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen. Unfortunately, Iran did not know this or the facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably attacked a portion of Qatar's LNG Gas facility."
They further warned that no further attacks would be carried out by Israel on the South Pars Field unless Iran decided to attack Qatar again. In that case, the United States, with or without Israel's assistance, would take action to destroy the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field with a strength that Iran had never experienced before.
"I do not want to authorise this level of violence because of its long-term implications for Iran, but if Qatar's LNG is attacked again, I will not hesitate," he concluded.
The attacks on Iran's gas fields and Qatar's LNG facilities have pushed global oil prices higher, as markets worry about supply disruptions from the Middle East. Analysts warn that continued threats to production and shipping routes could keep energy costs elevated, raising concerns about regional stability and the global economy.
(With ANI Inputs)
