Israel bombs South Pars: Why does this gas field matter so much to Iran — and the world?

Israel struck an Iranian production facility at the South Pars gas field, a key source of domestic energy for Iran, escalating tensions in the Middle East following a US-Israeli military operation that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The attack comes amid a widening regional crisis triggered by the February 28th operation. The strike marks the first time in the conflict that a major fossil fuel production facility has been directly targeted, raising concerns of further escalation and potential supply disruptions to global energy markets. Iran has warned of further retaliation targeting oil and gas sites in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, while Qatar blamed Israel for the attack.