A powerful explosion shook Doha, Qatar’s capital, on Sunday evening, prompting an official explanation from the Gulf state that it was caused by a technical malfunction at a plant in Ras Laffan, the country’s major gas hub. The interior ministry said it was an internal blast, with no casualties and no leaks reported. Civil defense teams were handling the incident.
The blast was heard amid regional tension, shortly after Iran said it had walked away from talks with the United States in Switzerland. Ras Laffan has previously been targeted by Iran and was again associated with the regional conflict during the war with Iran. It is one of the world’s most sensitive and important energy sites.
Ras Laffan is an industrial city and energy complex in northern Qatar that houses one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas, LNG, production and export facilities. It is a strategic asset for Qatar’s economy and for the international energy market.
During the war, Qatar said the complex was hit by Iranian missiles and suffered significant damage, after the defense ministry said one missile penetrated the air defenses and struck the area while others were intercepted. Qatar responded by escalating its measures against Tehran, declaring the Iranian military and security attachés at its embassy persona non grata and accusing Iran of violating its sovereignty and international law. Iran later said the target was energy infrastructure linked to the United States and denied any intent to strike Gulf states.
