“Economic terrorism” — that’s how Industry and Advanced Technology Minister and Adnoc CEO Sultan Al Jaber framed Iranian threats to the Strait of Hormuz, speaking at CeraWeek, state news agency Wam reports. Al Jaber warned that weaponizing the waterway isn’t just a regional issue, but has an “exponential” human cost through disruptions to supply chains, food systems, and everyday costs around the world. “Energy security is not just a slogan,” he said, “it’s the difference between the lights on and lights off.”

What you missed from over the weekend: US President Donald Trump’s comments that the war was almost over were swiftly followed by renewed attacks from both sides. Most notably, Israel attacked the South Pars gas field on Wednesday, Iran’s primary energy resource, and Iranian strikes took out 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity in retaliation.

Energy and IT infrastructure have already been targeted multiple times during this war, with strikes on Amazon Web Services data centers in Bahrain and Dubai leading to a widespread outage hitting dozens of regional firms, and energy facilities in Abu Dhabi suffering several hits so far.

Iran responded with a threat of its own: “If ⁠Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all energy infrastructure, as well as information technology… and water desalination facilities, belonging to the US and the regime in the region will be targeted pursuant to previous warnings,” Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari said, according to state media.

Hormuz disruption is scrambling LNG exports

Adnoc Gas says shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is forcing temporary tweaks to LNG and liquids output, with exports now managed shipment-by-shipment to keep deliveries on track, according to an ADX disclosure (pdf). The company, however, affirms the pipelines are still operational, with no impact on core processing despite debris falling near some facilities.

But the strain is showing: LNG output at Das Island is running at very low levels due to export constraints, despite the resumption of processing operations at Habshan complex following an attack last week, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. The LNG plant has not been fully shut to allow a quick restart, with supply supported in part by gas flows from Qatar via the Dolphin pipeline.

More than 40 oil and gas facilities across nine Middle Eastern countries have been severely damaged as the Iran war enters its fourth week, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol said. The conflict has created what the agency calls the largest supply shock in oil market history, rivaling the impact of the 1970s oil shocks and the 2022 gas crisis. The disruption extends beyond oil and gas, hitting petrochemicals, fertilizers, sulfur, and helium. LNG imports also dropped by some 20% since the war began.

Strikes force UAE gas shutdowns, output tweaks

Iranian strikes targeted key Emirati energy infrastructure over the weekend, launching attacks on the Habshan gas facility and Bab field, both intercepted without injuries, as attacks on Adnoc-linked assets continue, according to a Foreign Affairs Ministry statement. Authorities have called it a “dangerous escalation.”

The interceptions prompted shutdowns of the complex, which is one of the largest gas processing plants in the world, with 6.1 bcf / d capacity. Adnoc gas made adjustments to LNG production and exports, maintaining that operations are continuing safety, it said in a disclosure (pdf), without providing further details on output.

The framing is shifting: Industry and Advanced Technology Minister and Adnoc head Sultan Al Jaber put it bluntly on LinkedIn, saying energy infrastructure “should never be a target.” He described the attacks as “global economic warfare,” warning that energy flows are being weaponized.

The fallout is spreading beyond the UAE: Production was paused at Shell’s Pearl gas-to-liquids facility in Qatar on Thursday, following the attack on Ras Laffan. The move removed up to 1.6 bn cftd from the market after the two-train facility sustained damage to one of its trains.

Supply shock ripples across gas, oil and markets

The attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan could potentially cause a “lasting global gas shortage,” analysts said. Damage to Ras Laffan’s production capability would mean “the gas supply balance is that much tighter,” director for European gas and LNG at Wood Mackenzi Tom Marzec-Manser said.

Pressure is also mounting in Iraq: Iraqi authorities declared force majeure on oilfields operated by foreign companies. With navigation through the strait disrupted, most crude exports have effectively stalled, pushing storage capacity to its limits. In a letter to stakeholders, officials said international partners were unable to nominate tankers to lift crude, leaving shipments ready but unable to move.

The disruption is now rippling across global markets. US oil and gas dealmaking has largely ground to a halt as extreme price volatility makes transactions difficult to structure. “Everything is in paralysis right now because no one can price anything,” said Vinson & Elkins partner Bryan Loocke, describing a near “shutdown” in activity. Meanwhile, US gasoline prices surged more than 30% month-on-month in March, approaching USD 4 per gallon as supply shocks feed through to consumers.

Logistics routes are seeing more threats…

The threats from Iran continued: Tehran warned it will move beyond a Hormuz blockade, saying it could mine the Gulf if its coasts or islands are attacked, Reuters quotes Iranian state media as saying.

This marks another potentially direct challenge to the UAE’s position as an open-access global hub. If the “floating mine” risk is deemed credible by the London ins. market, standard maritime cover could be withdrawn for ports north of the Fujairah-Khor Fakkan line — effectively redrawing the region’s commercial geography.

Air travel feeling the strain as airport targeted

The skies are still open, but less predictable. Abu Dhabi has seen a string of delays and cancellations, while Dubai is holding steadier for now with lighter disruptions, The National reports.

But the system is getting more sensitive: Temporary airspace closures and early-morning alerts show how quickly operations can shift, even if normalcy resumes within hours. Airlines are already adapting — Emirates is running a reduced schedule and offering flexibility, while global carriers including British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, and Singapore Airlines are scaling back Dubai routes.

Airlines are even having to grapple with damage to aircraft: Two aircraft parked at Dubai International Airport were reportedly damaged early in the conflict by Iranian strikes, the Wall Street Journal reports.

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