1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,119 Speaker 1: All right, the war on Iran is threatening to spread wider. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: Saudi Arabia is warning that it could strike back after 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: Iranian attacks on oiler gas sites across the Gulf cause 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: price surges around the globe. And one of the strikes 5 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: was on the world's largest liquefied natural gas plants in Qatar. 6 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: Well Doha based New Zealand journalist Courtney Hammond is in 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: Qatar and he and joins us. Now, Hello, Courtney, Cure, Andrew, 8 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: how are you very good? How bad was that attack? 9 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, the attack was devastating for Cutter, and it marks 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 2: a huge escalation in this war. It came in response 11 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 2: to an Israeli attack on Iran's South Pars gas field. 12 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 2: Iran has retaliated by targeting energy facilities across the Gulf, 13 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 2: in Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates, and in Cuta. 14 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 2: The attacks on cut in particular, they've seriously damaged the 15 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 2: Rattlerfan gas facility, which is the world's largest ALERNG refinery. 16 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 2: It produces about twenty percent of the world's allergy export 17 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 2: which are mostly headed to Europe and Asia. Seventeen percent 18 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 2: of Cutter's export capacity has now been wiped out and 19 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 2: they say it could take up to five years to repair. 20 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 2: So this is a huge blow for Cutter, and they're 21 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 2: taking it very seriously, and. 22 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: The Saudi's want to do some revenge on all of this. 23 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,839 Speaker 1: Are those threats are potentially dangerous escalation of this war. 24 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 2: Well, the attacks have prompted strong responses because after all, 25 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 2: these facilities are at the heart of these Gulf countries economies. 26 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 2: Right So, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has warned that his 27 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 2: country's tolerance for attacks on its energy infrastructure is limited. 28 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 2: They've said that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to take 29 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 2: military actions of deemed necessary. He hasn't said when that 30 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 2: would happen, but he's said that Saudi and its neighbors, 31 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 2: you know, they have significant capabilities should they need to 32 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: use them. Cutter has also responded. They've called this attack 33 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 2: of violation on its sovereignty and the vast Iranian military 34 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 2: and security personnel to leave Cutter, which is a clear 35 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 2: sign that relations are deteriorating very quickly, and the Golf 36 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 2: countries are angry and frustrated. But yesterday the Cuttery Prime 37 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: Minister called for de escalation and said that diplomacy is 38 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 2: still the solution, so hope is not lost yet. 39 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: But Iran is hitting in a number countries that you 40 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: would normally think they would think we're friends. So is 41 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: that surprising the region? 42 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 2: It shouldn't come as a surprise, really, because Iran has 43 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 2: made it very clear from the beginning that it would 44 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 2: respond to Israeli and US aggression by hitting the countries 45 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 2: that host US military bases, and that includes Cutter, which 46 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 2: hosts the United States largest air base in the region. 47 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 2: But what makes this escalation significant is that Iran's attacks 48 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 2: on Cutter and the other Golf countries now have definitively 49 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 2: expanded beyond the American bases and military infrastructure to economic infrastructure. 50 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 2: And the damage that's caused by these attacks will effect 51 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 2: energy supply in the long term and it will undoubtedly 52 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 2: be sout globally. 53 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:06,679 Speaker 1: Now, the big question around the world is how long 54 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: is this going to go on? For? I know, our 55 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: own Prime minister yesterday said don't expect it anytime soon. 56 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: He said eight to twelve weeks. How he knew that, 57 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: I don't know. But what is the sense that you 58 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: have from your contacts about how long this war is 59 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: going to continue for. 60 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 2: Well, it is the big old question, isn't it, because 61 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: there just doesn't seem to be a clear exit plan 62 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 2: for the US or Israel, and Iran doesn't seem to 63 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 2: be all that interested in negotiations either. The United States 64 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: objective for the war is still pretty unclear, and they've 65 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 2: given really mixed timelines on how long this could continue 66 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: for the US Department of Defense is actually now asking 67 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 2: Congress for two hundred billion dollars to fund the war, 68 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 2: and the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has gone from suggesting 69 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 2: that the war could last just four to six weeks 70 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 2: to say now that there's no definitive timeline. So it's 71 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 2: all very up in the air. And you know, we're 72 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: entering the fourth week of this war tomorrow, and it 73 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 2: feels like it is still escalating rather than winding down. 74 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: You're living Cutter. They've now attacked. Do you feel safe? 75 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: I actually do, to most people's surprise. I do feel 76 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 2: safe because almost all the missiles and drones are still 77 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 2: being intercepted, and civilian infrastructure still isn't being targeted that 78 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: we know of. It's definitely not a normal set of 79 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 2: circumstances to be living under by any means, But I 80 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 2: don't actually feel like there is an immediate threat to 81 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 2: my safety. What I am concerned about, though, is what 82 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 2: this is all going to look like going forward, if 83 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 2: this does escalate and desalination plants are targeted and hit, 84 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 2: or if this continues, you know, for months, six months 85 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 2: on what life will actually look like here with all 86 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: of this volatility in the region. 87 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: Well, thank you for still being there, and thank you 88 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: for doing such a good job and keeping us in formed. 89 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: That is Courtney Hammond who's reporting straight out of Cutter 90 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: After of course they got and the LNG plant got 91 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: blown up in twenty percent of ll engiga capacity has 92 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: now gone for the globe. This is a big problem 93 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 1: in Pakistan, where a lot of their petrol, a lot 94 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:14,479 Speaker 1: of the electricity is powered on by LNG plant. And 95 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: also it's a big thing for you know, the government's 96 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: plans to build an L and G plant to safeguard 97 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: our electricity. It looks like the safeguard needs its own safeguarding. Now. 98 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 2: For more from hither Dupless Allen Drive, listen live to 99 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 2: news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 100 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.