{"id":7248,"date":"2026-03-20T09:34:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T09:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jubaglobal.com\/?p=7248"},"modified":"2026-03-20T09:34:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T09:34:07","slug":"israel-holds-off-further-strikes-on-irans-south-pars-gas-field-after-trump-netanyahu-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/israel-holds-off-further-strikes-on-irans-south-pars-gas-field-after-trump-netanyahu-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel Holds Off Further Strikes on Iran\u2019s South Pars Gas Field After Trump-Netanyahu Call"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Juba Global News Network<\/strong>
JubaGlobal.com<\/strong>
March 20, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a dramatic turn amid the intensifying U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced late Thursday that Israel would hold off<\/strong> on additional attacks targeting Iran\u2019s critical energy infrastructure, specifically the massive South Pars natural gas field. The decision follows a direct conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, who reportedly urged restraint to prevent further escalation in global energy markets already reeling from days of tit-for-tat strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The announcement came during a high-profile press conference in Jerusalem, where Netanyahu emphasized that Israel had \u201cacted alone\u201d in its initial strike on the South Pars facilities but would now heed Trump\u2019s request. \u201cPresident Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks, and we\u2019re holding off,\u201d Netanyahu stated firmly, addressing both domestic audiences and international observers. He rejected suggestions that Israel had \u201cdragged\u201d the United States into deeper involvement, insisting, \u201cDoes anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do? I misled no one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Strike That Shook Global Energy Markets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The controversy traces back to Israel\u2019s airstrike on March 18, 2026, targeting processing facilities at Asaluyeh\u2014the onshore hub linked to Iran\u2019s portion of the South Pars\/North Field complex, the world\u2019s largest natural gas reserve. Shared between Iran and Qatar, South Pars supplies a significant portion of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, with Qatar alone accounting for roughly 20% of the world\u2019s LNG trade through its adjacent North Field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israeli forces struck key infrastructure, igniting fires and temporarily taking units offline. Iranian officials reported damage to multiple processing plants, describing the attack as a direct assault on the nation\u2019s economic lifeline. The strike marked a sharp escalation from earlier phases of the conflict, which began nearly three weeks ago with joint U.S.-Israeli air campaigns targeting Iranian military command structures, ballistic missile sites, and nuclear-related facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Trump initially distanced the U.S. from the operation, posting on Truth Social that Washington \u201cknew nothing about\u201d the strike and that Israel had acted \u201cout of anger.\u201d He warned, however, that any continued Iranian attacks on allied energy sites\u2014particularly in Qatar\u2014would prompt a severe American response: \u201cThe United States of America\u2026 will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conflicting accounts emerged quickly. Israeli officials briefed media that the U.S. had been informed in advance, suggesting coordination despite Trump\u2019s public denial. This apparent discrepancy highlighted potential strains in U.S.-Israeli alignment on war aims, with Trump prioritizing de-escalation on energy fronts to stabilize oil and gas prices, while Netanyahu has hinted at the need for broader measures\u2014including a possible \u201cground component\u201d\u2014to decisively weaken the Iranian regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran\u2019s Retaliation and the Energy Shockwave<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran responded swiftly and ferociously. On March 19, Iranian forces launched missile and drone barrages against energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, setting ablaze facilities in Qatar\u2019s Ras Laffan LNG hub, Saudi Arabian refineries, Kuwaiti gas units, and sites in the UAE. QatarEnergy reported \u201cextensive damage,\u201d warning that recovery could take years and severely impacting global LNG supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The attacks sent Brent crude surging to nearly $119 per barrel before easing slightly to around $108 as markets digested Netanyahu\u2019s pledge. Natural gas prices spiked regionally in Europe, Asia, and the U.S., exacerbating fears of prolonged shortages and inflation. The Strait of Hormuz\u2014through which roughly 20% of global oil flows\u2014remains effectively choked by security threats, further amplifying the crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tehran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed \u201czero restraint\u201d if energy sites face further hits, while regime spokespeople described the South Pars strike as crossing a red line. The IRGC itself suffered a blow with the reported killing of spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naeini in related U.S.-Israeli operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diplomatic Maneuvering and Broader War Context<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trump-Netanyahu call represents a rare public moment of U.S. pressure on Israel to pull back from energy targeting, even as the broader air campaign continues unabated. Overnight into March 20, Israeli strikes pounded Tehran amid Nowruz celebrations\u2014the Persian New Year\u2014while Iranian missiles impacted northern Israel, and fresh barrages targeted Haifa refineries and other sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump reiterated no U.S. ground troops would deploy to Iran, focusing instead on air superiority and naval operations to degrade capabilities. Analysts note the energy truce could buy time for diplomacy or de-escalation, but underlying tensions persist: Netanyahu\u2019s comments about regime change requiring boots on the ground contrast with Washington\u2019s more limited objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global observers warn that continued strikes risk environmental catastrophe in the Gulf, refugee surges into Europe, and wider economic fallout. The UN Security Council is set to address energy security and humanitarian impacts amid the chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the war enters its third week, the hold on South Pars strikes offers a fragile pause in one theater\u2014but the conflict shows no signs of abating elsewhere. Oil markets remain volatile, and the world watches nervously for Iran\u2019s next move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For ongoing coverage of the Middle East crisis, visit JubaGlobal.com<\/strong>. Stay informed\u2014because in today\u2019s world, energy is power, and power is at stake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juba Global News Network<\/strong> \u2014 Reporting from the front lines of global affairs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Juba Global News NetworkJubaGlobal.comMarch 20, 2026 In a dramatic turn amid the intensifying U.S.-Israeli…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[830,643,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-more-articles","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7248"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7250,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7248\/revisions\/7250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}