Kathmandu. The ongoing war in the Middle East has escalated to a more serious point with attacks targeting energy infrastructure. The fire at Ras Lafan, Qatar’s main gas hub, has been brought under control but liquefied natural gas (LNG) production has been severely damaged, adding uncertainty to global energy supplies. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, although the fire was brought under control by the Civil Defense team, works to make the site safe and cool are going on.

Meanwhile, Iran says it has executed three people accused of killing police officers and working for the US and Israel during unrest earlier this year. Qatar has ordered some Iranian diplomats to leave the country within 24 hours in response to the attack.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s vast South Pars gas field if more attacks on Qatar’s gas infrastructure escalate. Trump has confirmed that Israel carried out the attack but said the US was not aware of it. At the same time, Iran has also threatened to completely destroy the oil and gas industry in the Gulf region if further attacks on its energy infrastructure are carried out.

Regional forces are also gradually becoming active. Saudi Arabia has said that it will not hesitate to take military action in response to missile and drone attacks from Iran. The United Arab Emirates said it had shut down some of its gas facilities due to debris from the missile interception. Meanwhile, a ship caught fire after being hit by a projectile near the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about the safety of international waterways.

The war has also affected air services. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has suspended flights to Dubai and Riyadh until the end of April. French President Emmanuel Macron said he had spoken with French authorities to stop attacks on civilian infrastructure such as energy and water.

Violence continues on the ground as well. One person has been confirmed dead in an Iranian missile attack in Israel, bringing the death toll to 15. Three Palestinian women were killed and several others were injured when a missile fell in the West Bank, one of them critically. This is believed to be the first time a Palestinian person has died in the conflict.

The pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah group in Iraq has said it has halted attacks on the US embassy for five days with certain conditions. Kuwait has arrested 10 people linked to Hezbollah on suspicion of plotting to attack critical infrastructure.

Israel has said it will continue to attack senior Iranian officials during the war. Iran’s military has said that it will not stop the operation, claiming that Iran’s intelligence minister Ismail Khatib has been killed. Iran’s Supreme Leader Mohottaba Ali Khamenei warned that those involved in the attack would have to pay a “heavy price”.

Meanwhile, explosions were heard again in the Saudi capital Riyadh, while the defence ministry said a drone heading for a gas plant had been destroyed. As a result of the war, the US Federal Reserve has raised inflation forecasts and kept interest rates unchanged, citing increased economic uncertainty, underscoring the conflict’s impact on the global economy.