Qatar will fully shut its gas liquefaction operations on Wednesday amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes across the region, according to Reuters sources familiar with the matter.Two Reuters sources close to the matter said that Qatar would completely halt its liquefaction facilities as security concerns grow over the widening conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.The shutdown affects Qatar’s liquefied natural gas production infrastructure, which plays a critical role in global energy markets as the Gulf nation is among the world’s largest LNG exporters.According to the Reuters sources, restarting operations will also take considerable time once the facilities are halted.“Once restarted, Qatar would need at least another 2 weeks to reach full capacity,” the sources said.They added that early assessments indicate that the process of bringing the facilities back online after a complete shutdown will take time.