ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on the country’s southern energy infrastructure, warning the conflict could escalate across the region and globally as Tehran began retaliatory strikes on energy facilities in the Gulf. 

Iranian authorities on Wednesday accused the US and Israel of carrying out strikes on the South Pars Gas Complex in Bushehr province, saying the attack “caused a fire in several refinery phases,” which was later brought under control.

Tehran previously warned that any attacks on its energy facilities would give its forces the “legitimate right” to target energy infrastructure across the region.

“I strongly condemn attacking Iran’s energy infrastructure,” Pezeshkian wrote on X, adding that “this will complicate the situation and could have uncontrollable consequences, the scope of which could engulf the entire world.”

The development followed the killing of Iran’s top security officials on Tuesday. 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri on Wednesday said Iran’s target list has been updated, warning that "American-linked oil facilities are now on par with American bases and will be powerfully struck,” he wrote on X. 

"We warn citizens and workers to distance themselves from these facilities," he added. 

IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency later warned residents of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar to "stay away" from key oil and gas facilities, naming sites including the Samref refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia, the Al Hosn gas field in the UAE, and Qatar’s Mesaieed petrochemical complex and Ras Laffan refinery.

It added that the sites were "legitimate targets" that could be struck in the coming hours in retaliation for an attack on an energy facility in southern Iran. 

Saudi Arabia's defense ministry said Wednesday that it intercepted a drone en route to a gas facility in the country's Eastern Province, while in Qatar's Ras Laffan was struck on the same night, resulting in a blaze that was subsequently brought under control.

The UAE's foreign ministry on Wednesday condemned the targeting of Iran's South Pars gas field, saying that "targeting energy infrastructure poses a direct threat to global energy security," read a statement from the ministry. 

Amid its retaliatory strikes targeting 12 regional countries, Iran has expanded its attacks from US diplomatic missions and airports housing an American military presence to hotels, neighborhoods, and other civilian infrastructure, claiming US personnel and intelligence are using them as hiding spots.