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16-03-2026
DOHA: Qatar has rejected claims in sections of Israeli media that it had stopped its LNG production to affect energy prices in the US, calling such accusations an attempt to “drive a wedge” between Qatar and the US.
In a statement on Thursday, a senior Qatari official told media that “Qatar will always prioritize people’s safety over political or economic gain.”
“It is no surprise that unofficial mouthpieces of [Israeli] Prime Minister Netanyahu are attempting to exploit this period of global instability to sow further tension and division across the region,” the official said.
QatarEnergy suspended liquefied natural gas (LNG) production last week following an Iranian drone attack, straining the global LNG market. Qatar supplies 20 percent of the world’s LNG.
According to Qatar’s Ministry of Defence, Iranian drones struck two sites, a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed Industrial City and an energy facility in Ras Laffan belonging to QatarEnergy, the world’s largest LNG producer.
“For more than two years, Netanyahu has pursued a regional agenda that has fueled conflict and chaos in pursuit of his own political ambitions,” the official said.
He referenced a statement posted on social media by Amit Segal, an Israeli chief political analyst for N12News, who on Wednesday said the halt in gas production signaled “coordination between Iran and Qatar to close the facility in order to pressure an end to the war.”
Segal’s claims attempted “to drive a wedge between the US and Qatar by alleging that Qatar’s decision to halt energy production was a calculated political move”, the Qatari official said.
“These allegations are the latest in a pattern of false reports made by Segal in recent days, including highly irresponsible claims that Qatar attacked Iran.”
Netanyahu’s media allies had long circulated “claims intended to create friction in the region,” the official continued. He added that “at a time when the region urgently needs de-escalation, such narratives set a dangerous precedent and should be called out for their reckless and malign intent.”
Last week, Qatar’s state-run energy firm says it has halted liquefied natural gas production after Iranian attacks, sending gas prices soaring in Europe and Asia, as Saudi Arabia announced it was temporarily shutting down some units of the Ras Tanura oil refinery located near the country’s eastern region after a fire broke out following a drone attack.
“Due to military attacks on QatarEnergy’s operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City in the State of Qatar, QatarEnergy has ceased production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and associated products,” the world’s largest LNG producer said in a statement on Monday.
Shortly after the announcement, benchmark Dutch and British wholesale gas prices soared by almost 50 percent, while benchmark Asian LNG prices jumped almost 39 percent.
Earlier, Qatar’s Defence Ministry said the country was attacked by two drones launched from Iran. “One drone targeted a water tank belonging to a power plant in Mesaieed, and the other targeted an energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, belonging to QatarEnergy, without reporting any human casualties,” it said in a statement. “All damages and losses resulting from the attack will be assessed by the relevant authorities, and an official statement will be issued later,” it added.
The Saudi Ministry of Defence, in reports carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA), said two drones had “attempted to attack” the Ras Tanura refinery on Monday morning, and that a “small” fire had broken out after they were intercepted. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
