NEW DELHI: India condemned strikes on energy facilities in the Gulf as “unacceptable” on Thursday (Mar 19), warning they risk worsening global energy flows.
Iran hit the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Qatar on Thursday in retaliation for an Israeli attack on its South Pars gas field.
The assault on Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility has stoked fears of wider disruptions to fuel supplies, including for India, which relies on Qatar for over 40 per cent of its LNG needs – crucial for power generation, industry, fertiliser production and household cooking.
The latest strikes were “unacceptable and need to cease”, India’s foreign ministry said, reiterating New Delhi’s call to avoid targeting energy infrastructure.
“Recent attacks against energy installations in different locations across this region are … deeply disturbing and only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy scenario for the whole world,” it said in a statement.
With gas shipments already reduced, New Delhi fears a fresh supply crunch, rising costs and deeper economic strain across sectors dependent on steady imports.
Qatar is one of the world’s top LNG producers, alongside the United States, Australia and Russia.
