Qatar reportedly held secret talks with Iran early in the war in an effort to protect Ras Laffan, the world's largest LNG export facility and a cornerstone of Qatar's economy. The idea was that Iran would refrain from targeting the complex, while Qatar would voluntarily suspend gas production, a move that could drive up global energy prices and increase pressure on the U.S. and Israel to bring the conflict to an end more quickly. Qatar has denied that any such arrangement existed, saying its decisions regarding Ras Laffan were based solely on security concerns. Nevertheless, intelligence officials claim Doha sought assurances that its key energy infrastructure would be spared. The apparent understanding did not last. Although Qatar shut down Ras Laffan early in the conflict, Iran later struck the facility after its own gas infrastructure was hit. Source: WaPo