Iran blames Israel for gas field attack, fires missiles at Qatar and Saudi energy facilities

Iran accused Israel of striking its facilities in the huge South Pars gas field on Wednesday in a major escalation in the conflict that sent oil prices shooting higher, and retaliated by vowing attacks on oil and gas targets throughout the Persian Gulf, firing missiles at Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Qatar's state oil giant QatarEnergy reported "extensive damage" after the Ras Laffan Industrial City, an energy-industry hub, was hit by Iranian missiles. Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh on Wednesday and an attempted drone attack on a gas facility in the east of the country.

South Pars is the Iranian sector of the world's largest natural gas deposit, which Iran shares with Qatar across the gulf. Qatar's foreign ministry denounced Iran for what it called "a flagrant breach" of international law, expelling two senior Iranian diplomats.

In Washington, US spy chief Tulsi Gabbard told Congress Iran's government had been degraded since the war began on February 28, but it appeared to be intact, with Iran and its proxies still capable of attacking US military bases and other interests it has in the Middle East.