World's top natural gas producer QatarEnergy stops LNG production
What's the story
One of the world's top natural gas producers, QatarEnergy, announced on Monday that it would stop production of liquefied natural gas due to military attacks on its operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City in Qatar. The energy firm said it will keep all of its shareholders informed as the situation develops. It offered no timeline for restoring its production.
Twitter Post
Statement by firm
🚨🚨🚨QatarEnergy halts LNG production at Ras Laffan.
— Dániel Stemler (@StemDan) March 2, 2026
Three LNG vessels are currently appeared to be berthed at the facility, according to ship-tracking data from @Kpler.#LNG #Qatar #shipping #IranWar pic.twitter.com/40GY9UCcxX
Timeline
2 drones from Iran target energy sites
Qatar's Defense Ministry earlier said that the country was attacked by two drones launched from Iran, targeting energy infrastructure. In a statement on X, the ministry said one drone struck a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed, an industrial city south of Doha. The second targeted an energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, which is operated by QatarEnergy.
Attack
US-Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday
Iranian missiles and drones have targeted US allies in the Gulf, following a joint US-Israeli airstrike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, as talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program were still underway. Iran responded on the same day with missile and drone attacks across the region.
Gulf
Smoke near the US Embassy in Kuwait
On Monday morning, explosions were heard in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar's capital, Doha. The Kuwaiti army also issued a statement on Monday, claiming that its air defenses "confronted and intercepted" a "number of hostile aerial targets at dawn today." Around the same time, Reuters news agency, citing an unnamed witness, reported a cloud of smoke near the US Embassy in Kuwait.