The conflict triggered by the February 28 US-Israeli strikes on Iran escalated sharply this week after Israel targeted the South Pars gas field on March 18, prompting a series of high-impact retaliatory actions from Tehran.
The drone and missile exchanges, ongoing since late February, intensified following the earlier strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s response to the South Pars attack included a range of military and strategic moves, which appeared to influence US President Donald Trump to signal a potential scaling down of operations.
Strike On Global Energy Infrastructure
Iran first responded by targeting the Ras Laffan LNG facility in Qatar, located on the same gas field shared between Iran and Qatar. The attack damaged what is considered the world’s largest LNG plant, which accounted for roughly a fifth of global supply before production.
The strike caused fires and “extensive damage,” sending global energy prices sharply higher and raising fears of supply disruptions across Europe and Asia.
Shortly after the attack, Trump said Israel would hold off from further strikes on Iranian gas infrastructure, while warning that the US could “massively blow up” the facility if Tehran escalates further.
F-35 Incident Raises Stakes
Amid the escalating exchanges, Iran claimed it had struck a US F-35 stealth fighter jet, potentially marking the first such incident in combat.
While the US did not confirm the claim, Central Command acknowledged that one of its warplanes made an emergency landing and that the pilot was in stable condition.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the jet was targeted at 2:50 am local time, adding, “The fate of the fighter jet is unclear and under investigation, and the likelihood of its crash is very high.”
Missile Reach Extends To Diego Garcia
In a significant escalation, unconfirmed reports on Saturday said Iran fired ballistic missiles towards Diego Garcia, a key US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, located around 4,000 kilometres from Iranian territory.
According to a Wall Street Journal report citing US officials, two intermediate-range ballistic missiles were launched. One failed mid-flight, while the other was intercepted by a US warship.
The development, if confirmed, would mark Iran’s first operational use of such missiles and signal an expanded strike capability beyond the Middle East.
Pressure Builds In Strait Of Hormuz
Iran has also intensified its activities in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting shipping routes that carry nearly 20 per cent of global oil supply.
The military also issued a warning to the United Arab Emirates, cautioning against allowing attacks from its territory on disputed islands in the Gulf.
“We warn the United Arab Emirates if any further aggression originates from its territory against the Iranian islands of Abu Musa and Greater Tunb in the Persian Gulf, Iran’s powerful armed forces will subject Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE to heavy strikes,” the Khatam Al-Anbiya command said.
Trump Signals Possible Wind-Down
Amid rising economic and military costs, Trump indicated a possible shift in US strategy.
“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East,” he said in a post on Truth Social, referring to Iran as a “terror regime.”
The statement marks the clearest indication yet that Washington may be preparing to de-escalate the conflict that began on February 28.
