Missile Strikes Slash Qatar LNG Exports by 17%, Trigger $20 Billion Loss, Force Majeure as Gulf States Condemn Iran

Missile attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City on March 18 and early March 19 have cut LNG export capacity by 17%, caused an estimated $20 billion in annual revenue losses, and will force long-term force majeure of up to five years, QatarEnergy said, as Doha and a bloc of Arab and Islamic nations condemned Iran’s attacks and warned of escalating threats to global energy security and maritime navigation.

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QatarEnergy CEO and Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said the strikes caused “extensive damage” that will take “between three to five years to repair,” affecting supplies to China, South Korea, Italy and Belgium, and forcing the company to suspend parts of its long-term LNG commitments. He said the attacks damaged LNG Trains 4 and 6 (12.8 MTPA)—about 17% of exports—while a separate strike hit the Pearl GTL facility operated by Shell, leaving one production train offline for at least one year.

Detailing the wider losses, QatarEnergy said outages would cut 18.6 million barrels of condensates (24% of exports), 1.281 million tons of LPG (13%), 0.594 million tons of naphtha (6%), 0.18 million tons of sulfur (6%), and 309.54 million cubic feet of helium (14%), amplifying the shock across fuel, petrochemical and industrial supply chains. “These unjustified and senseless attacks… were not just an attack on the State of Qatar but attacks on global energy security and stability,” Al-Kaabi said, adding no casualties were reported.

The strikes triggered “sizeable fires and extensive further damage” across LNG facilities, with emergency teams containing the situation, even as the scale of disruption marks one of the most severe hits to global gas infrastructure in recent years.

Energy analytics firm Kpler also said in its latest analysis that missile strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City have significantly escalated global energy risks, noting that the attacks hit multiple LNG facilities following a March 2 drone strike that had already forced a temporary halt, while LNG exports have effectively stopped since March 1 due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, stranding vessels and disrupting flows from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, which together account for roughly 20% of global LNG supply; Kpler’s analysis added that the strikes came after Israeli attacks on Iran’s South Pars gas field, which is shared with Qatar’s North Field, raising concerns over continued damage at Ras Laffan, potential setbacks to Qatar’s LNG expansion, and broader risks to regional energy security and global supply chains.

Qatar’s Civil Defence Council said air quality levels around key areas near Ras Laffan Industrial City, Al Dhakhira and Al Khor remain “within normal levels” following recent missile attacks, confirming that all recorded readings are within approved national limits with no violations detected, while adding that the national air quality monitoring network remains fully operational with round-the-clock environmental surveillance in coordination with relevant authorities to ensure preparedness for any further developments.

In parallel, Qatar escalated its diplomatic response, telling the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz constitute a “clear violation” of international law and freedom of navigation, warning they “endanger the lives of innocent seafarers” and threaten “global trade, supply chains, and energy security.” Doha also welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which calls for an immediate halt to attacks and protection of maritime routes.

Later, the International Maritime Organization Council, meeting in London under Chair Victor Jiménez of Spain, warned that escalating attacks in the Arabian Sea, Sea of Oman and Gulf region, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, pose a “grave danger to life,” threaten global shipping, and risk destabilizing energy and humanitarian supply chains, as it condemned “egregious attacks” on vessels and demanded immediate de-escalation and restraint.

A joint statement issued in Riyadh on March 19 by foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye and others condemned Iran’s “deliberate attacks with ballistic missiles and drones” targeting civilian infrastructure including oil facilities, desalination plants, airports and residential areas, calling them unjustifiable and urging Tehran to “immediately halt its attacks” and comply with international law.

The ministers warned against any attempt to close or obstruct the Strait of Hormuz or Bab al-Mandab, and stressed that such actions could further destabilize global energy flows and regional security, while reaffirming the right of states to self-defense under the UN Charter.