Anxiety gripped the Qatari capital Thursday as residents and foreign workers braced for further escalation following a series of Iranian missile strikes on the country's critical energy infrastructure, an assault that has already triggered a major diplomatic rupture.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry ordered the immediate expulsion of Iran's military and security attachés late Wednesday, giving staff 24 hours to leave the country.
The move follows two waves of missile attacks in less than 12 hours targeting Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub. QatarEnergy confirmed "extensive damage" and "sizeable fires" at the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) plant and several LNG units, though no casualties were reported.
"We were warned via mobile alerts and local news just before the strikes," said a Greek senior executive at Qatar’s state energy firm. "Everyone was moved away from the targeted sites in time, but the psychological toll is immense.
Travel plans are canceled, and people are terrified the strikes will move from the industrial outskirts into Doha itself."
The attacks were reportedly in retaliation for an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field—a massive reservoir shared between the two nations.
In response, President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Thursday that any further aggression against Qatar would be met with "overwhelming force."
Global energy markets were jolted by the news, with Brent crude soaring past $115 per barrel and European gas prices jumping 30% as Qatar suspended all production.
Despite the crisis, Qatari authorities assured the public that food and fuel reserves remain sufficient for six months.
However, for the thousands of expatriate workers in the capital, the "nightmare scenario" of a direct hit on the city has turned the desert hub into a zone of deep uncertainty.
By Panagiotis Georgiou