An Iranian missile attack caused damage at Qatar's main gas facility on its north coast, the defence ministry said on Thursday. Iran targeted energy facilities across the Gulf and threatened further destructive attacks after a key gas field was hit, raising fears on Thursday of a wider assault on fuel supplies that could jolt already rattled global markets. The warning came after Israel killed the Islamic Republic's intelligence chief Esmail Khatib, the latest in a string of strikes that have decimated its leadership since the war began nearly three weeks ago.

The "State of Qatar was attacked (by) ballistic missiles, from Iran, which targeted Ras Laffan Industrial City and caused damages", the Qatari defence ministry posted on X.

Qatar had said overnight that attacks on the gas facility were a "direct threat" to its national security.

Amid the threat from Iran, Abu Dhabi has shut down operations at a gas facility due to falling debris from missile interceptions, the Emirati capital's media office said on Thursday.

"Abu Dhabi authorities are responding to incidents at the Habshan gas facilities and at the Bab (oil) field caused by falling debris from the successful interception of missiles," Abu Dhabi's media office posted on X.

"The gas facilities have been shut down," it said, adding no injuries had been reported.

The United Arab Emirates' foreign ministry expressed "strong condemnation" of the attack, which it blamed on Iran.

"These attacks constitute a serious escalation and a violation of the principles of international law," the ministry said in a statement posted on X.

Iran’s gas facility attacked
Tehran, following a strike on its South Pars field, said it would respond forcefully to any further attacks on its energy sector.

"We warn you once again that you made a big mistake in attacking the energy infrastructure of the Islamic Republic," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

"If it is repeated again, further attacks on your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will not stop until it is completely destroyed."

The Israeli military did not comment on the South Pars attack, while US officials said Washington was aware but not involved.

Iran's threat of further retaliation came after Qatar's state energy company said a missile strike sparked a fire, causing "extensive damage" at its main gas facility -- the world's largest -- prompting Doha to expel two Iranian diplomats.

Saudi Arabia also said it intercepted drones targeting energy infrastructure in the east, while debris from a ballistic missile landed near a refinery south of Riyadh.

Oil prices, already elevated by the near-total disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, surged again -- with the main US benchmark for crude adding more than three per cent on Thursday.