JERUSALEM/TEHRAN/VIENNA/MOSCOW/DOHA/RIYADH/ABU DHABI - If Iran attacks Qatar again, the US military "will massively blow up the entirety" of the South Pars gas field in Iran, US President Donald Trump warned in a post on his Truth Social on Wednesday.

Natural gas facility

The Israeli air force has struck Iran's major natural gas facility, located in Bushehr in the south of the country, several Israeli media reported Wednesday.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that the strike was carried out in coordination with the US administration.

It added that the Israeli air force also struck an energy facility in the southern Iranian city of Asaluyeh, and that it was preparing to attack other national infrastructure in Iran.

Israel's Channel 12 News quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that only part of the facility was struck as a "message" to Iran, and that "if the enemy does not understand this message, the strikes may expand."

Following the strike, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps issued an evacuation warning for several oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

In a statement, the IRGC said facilities, including the Samref refinery in Saudi Arabia and the Al-Hosn gas field in the UAE, could become "direct and legitimate targets" and may be struck in the coming hours.

The statement urged residents and personnel in surrounding areas to leave immediately and move to safe locations without delay.

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'Aggressive acts'

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday strongly condemned the US and Israeli attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.

He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X after airstrikes were carried out on parts of the South Pars gas field in southern Iran.

Pezeshkian said such "aggressive acts" will complicate the situation and "could have uncontrollable consequences, the scope of which could engulf the entire world."

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday called for maximum restraint to prevent the risk of a nuclear accident after a projectile hit the premises of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on Tuesday evening.

"The IAEA has been informed by Iran that a projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr NPP on Tuesday evening. No damage to the plant or injuries to staff reported," the IAEA said in a social media post.

Russia strongly condemns the missile strike on the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.

"We strongly condemn the reckless and wholly unacceptable missile strike carried out within the inner perimeter of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant just a few short metres away from an operational power unit," Zakharova said in a statement.

Also on Wednesday, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari condemned the Israeli targeting of facilities linked to Iran's South Pars gas field, which is an extension of Qatar's North Field.

In a statement on X, Al-Ansari warned that targeting energy infrastructure in the region threatens global energy security and regional stability, describing it as a "dangerous and irresponsible step" amid the ongoing military escalation.

Saudi Arabia intercepts 8 missiles

Saudi air defences intercepted 8 ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh on Wednesday evening, the country's Ministry of Defence announced.

The ministry said on social media platform X that four ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh were intercepted and destroyed, and "part of one ballistic missile fell near a refinery south of Riyadh."

Meanwhile, the UAE on Wednesday warned that targeting energy facilities associated with Iran's South Pars gas field poses a threat to global energy security as well as the regional security and stability.

In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that attacks on energy infrastructure linked to the South Pars field in Iran, which extends northward to Qatar's territory, represent a dangerous escalation.

The UAE authorities also said on Thursday that operations at the Habshan gas facilities have been temporarily suspended due to falling debris from interceptions of missiles. 

Qatar's Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that the civil defense team is responding to a fire in the Ras Laffan area following an Iranian targeting. 

Pentagon budget request for Iran war

The Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a request exceeding $200 billion for Congress to fund the ongoing US strikes on Iran, a move likely to stage a major partisan battle on Capitol Hill, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing a senior US official and three other people familiar with the matter.

The figure would far surpass the cost of the US military campaign against Iran to date and is intended to urgently expand production of critical weapons depleted since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran started on Feb 28, the report said.

It remains unclear how much the White House will ultimately ask Congress to approve, as some administration officials believe the Department of Defense request has little chance of passing, according to the report, which cited a senior Trump administration official speaking on condition of anonymity.

The cost of the US strikes on Iran has rapidly grown, exceeding 11 billion dollars in the first week alone, the report said, citing multiple officials.