What is the South Pars gas field and why is Israel’s attack an escalation? | CNN

An Israeli strike on Iranian facilities linked to the South Pars gas field marked a significant escalation in the war, prompting a furious Iran to attack major energy facilities of its Persian Gulf neighbors and Israel. Energy prices were already spiking because the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz means oil and gas that is already produced can’t get to its intended customers on time. But the new wave of attacks against energy facilities, including those processing the South Pars natural gas, puts added pressure on global supply. This double whammy has sent prices for oil and natural gas even higher and prompted US President Donald Trump to threaten to “blow up” South Pars if Iran didn’t stop its own attacks. Here is why the strikes against South Pars are so significant: South Pars is part of the world’s largest natural gas reserves, located offshore in the Persian Gulf. It is shared between Iran and Qatar, which calls its part of it the North Dome. The entire ​gas field contains an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet of usable gas — enough to ​supply the world’s needs for 13 years, according to Reuters. Natural gas from South Pars is the biggest source o