Iran Used Only Fraction Of Its Power Against Israel, Says Foreign Minister Araghchi

Last Updated:March 19, 2026, 21:15 IST

Iranian FM Araghchi said Tehran showed restraint after Israel's attack, but hit Qatar’s Ras Laffan, causing a 17% LNG export loss and $20B revenue hit. Qatar condemned the strikes.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said Tehran showed restraint in responding to Israel’s attack as it respected “request for de-escalation".

In a post on X, Araghchi said: “Our response to Israel’s attack on our infrastructure employed FRACTION of our power. The ONLY reason for restraint was respect for requested de-escalation."

“ZERO restraint if our infrastructures are struck again. Any end to this war must address damage to our civilian sites," he added.

Check Latest Updates On Iran-Israel War Status Today

Responding to Israel’s move to strike the South Pars gas site in Iran, Tehran retaliated by hitting Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the largest LNG hub in the world. Four other missiles were intercepted before impact.

QatarEnergy confirmed “extensive damage" to its main gas facility after the Iranian attack at Ras Laffan. Qatar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the strikes as a “flagrant violation of the state’s sovereignty, as well as a direct threat to its national security." It reiterated its call for Iran to refrain from targeting civilian facilities and energy infrastructure.

Ras Laffan accounts for roughly one-fifth of global LNG supply prior to production halts earlier this month. Any damage to the facility raises fears of supply disruptions, potentially affecting global gas availability and pricing.

Later, QatarEnergy’s CEO said Iranian attacks have wiped out 17% of Qatar’s LNG export ​capacity, leading to a loss of about $20 billion annual revenue and threatening supplies ‌to Europe and Asia.

Reuters quoted Saad al-Kaabi saying that two of Qatar’s 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids (GTL) facilities were damaged in the unprecedented strikes.

He further said that ​the repairs will sideline 12.8 million tons per year of LNG for ​three to five years. “I never in my wildest dreams would ⁠have thought that Qatar would be – Qatar and the region – in such an ​attack, especially from a brotherly Muslim country in the month of Ramadan, attacking us ​in this way," Kaabi said in an interview.

AFP quoted Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani condemning Iran’s attacks on the state’s main gas hub.

“This attack has significant repercussions for global energy supplies. Such attacks bring no direct benefit to any country, rather, they harm and directly impact populations," he told a press conference following extensive damage to the Ras Laffan facility.

News world Iran Used Only Fraction Of Its Power Against Israel, Says Foreign Minister Araghchi

Read More