US, Israel war Iran War LIVE: Iran attack wipes out 17% of Qatar’s LNG capacity for up to five years, US F-35 jet struck by Iranian firing, says report

In a high-stakes press briefing, US President Donald Trump and Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi addressed the escalating Iran conflict and its impact on global energy. Here are the key takeaways:

Trump’s Demand: The US President expects Japan to take a more active role, noting that 90% of Japan's oil imports pass through the volatile Strait of Hormuz.

Military vs. Political Support: Despite US pressure, a joint statement from NATO and Japan suggests allies will provide "appropriate efforts" rather than sending warships to the strait.

Economic Alarm: PM Takaichi highlighted the "significant impacts" of the war on the global economy, directly addressing the ripple effects Trump downplayed.

Energy Stabilization: With oil and gas prices spiking, Takaichi proposed new measures to calm global energy markets and stabilize supply.

The Shared Goal: While both leaders agree Iran must not have nuclear weapons and condemn the Hormuz closure, Takaichi emphasized a diplomatic path to achieve "peace and harmony."

In another development that's representational of the wider disruption caused by the ingoing Iran-Israel war, Kuwait’s Defence Ministry says two drones targeted “operational units affiliated with the National Petroleum Company, resulting in limited fires breaking out”.

No casualties were recorded, spokesperson Colonel Saud Abdulaziz al-Otaibi said. Over the past 24 hours, Kuwait’s air defence systems detected 18 hostile drones within its airspace, and 13 were destroyed.

The US State Department has approved potential arms sales to three Middle East countries worth more than $16.5 billion as the war with Iran intensifies.

Iran intensified its attacks on oil and natural gas facilities around the Gulf today, raising the stakes in a war that is sending shock waves through the global economy.

The Pentagon is seeking USD 200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, a senior administration official says.

Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that Berlin will not intervene in the Middle East while the US-Israel war on Iran continues. “We can and will only be able to get involved once the guns fall silent,” Merz told reporters.

UAE’s Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down seven ballistic missiles and 15 drones launched from Iran on Wednesday.

The latest interceptions bring the total number of ballistic missiles downed during the war to 334, drones to 1,714 and cruise missiles to 15, the ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said it remains on high alert and is fully prepared to confront any threats, warning it would respond firmly to anything that undermines the country’s security.

Bahrain has strongly condemned what it described as an Iranian attack targeting the UAE’s Habshan gas facility and the Bab field, which was intercepted by air defences.

In a statement, the foreign ministry called the strike a dangerous escalation that threatens regional security and stability, and a flagrant violation of international law and principles of good neighbourliness.

It also described the attack as a breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2817.

Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) has issued an advisory to pilots operating under Indian licences, warning of heightened operational risks in Middle East airspace and potential insurance implications.

The association urged pilots to maintain heightened situational awareness when flying to, from or through conflict-affected regions, and to carefully review operational briefings, NOTAMs and company advisories before flights.

It also advised pilots to seek clarity from operators on insurance coverage and war-risk protection, and to ensure proper risk assessments have been conducted for flights in or near high-risk areas.

ALPA India called on pilots to exercise professional judgement and report safety concerns through established channels if risks are not adequately addressed.

Reiterating that the safety of crew and passengers must remain paramount, the body said it is closely monitoring developments and engaging with authorities and international pilot groups, while urging members to stay vigilant.

The Indian embassy in Amman has urged all Indian nationals and visitors in Jordan to remain alert, exercise extreme caution and follow safety guidelines issued by local authorities.

With Jordan’s airspace open and commercial flights operating, those wishing to leave the country may do so.

The embassy advised nationals to monitor local media and follow updates from Jordan’s National Center for Security and Crises Management, and to report any suspicious objects to emergency services by calling 911.

According to local guidelines, residents should stay indoors when sirens sound until the all-clear is issued, avoid gathering in crowds, and remain inside vehicles if travelling. Those outdoors should seek immediate shelter in the nearest building, or lie down and cover their heads if no shelter is available.

Authorities also advised against using elevators due to potential power outages and urged people at home to stay away from windows to reduce the risk of injury from debris.

Germany’s economy minister has warned that attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure could push companies out of Europe’s largest economy as prices surge.

Katherina Reiche said rising costs risk intensifying pressure on industry, which has struggled since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

European natural gas prices have risen more than 50% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February.

Germany’s economy remains fragile, posting only marginal growth last year after two consecutive years of recession.

Two people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a house on the outskirts of Adloun, about 17 km south of the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, the National News Agency reported. In a separate development, two people were killed and eight others wounded in additional Israeli air strikes in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon.

UAE’s air defences intercepted seven ballistic missiles and 15 drones on March 19, the Ministry of Defence said. Since the start of what it described as Iranian attacks, UAE air defences have countered a total of 334 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,714 drones, according to the statement.

Saudi Arabia said trust with Iran has been shattered following a ballistic missile attack targeting Riyadh, warning it reserves the right to respond militarily. The Saudi foreign minister said the strike has undermined any remaining confidence in Tehran, indicating that all options, including military action, remain on the table.

Iran is considering a proposal to impose transit fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a lawmaker said on Thursday, in a move that could allow Tehran to monetise its control over the critical waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows.

Since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Tehran has disrupted maritime traffic through the strait for vessels it claims are linked to its adversaries and their allies.

According to the Iranian Students’ News Agency, parliament is reviewing a bill that would require countries using the strait for shipping, energy transport and food supplies to pay tolls and taxes to Iran.

An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said a “new regime for the Strait of Hormuz” would be introduced after the war ends, enabling Tehran to impose maritime restrictions on countries that have sanctioned it.

“By using the strategic position of the Strait of Hormuz, we can sanction the West and prevent their ships from passing through this waterway,” Mohammad Mokhber said on Thursday, according to Mehr news agency.

A US-Israeli drone strike near Iran’s north-western city of Malekan has killed two people, including a civilian and a security personnel, and injured three others, according to Tasnim news agency. In a separate incident earlier reported by Iranian media, a strike on a residential area in Dorud county in western Iran killed at least 12 people.

Kuwait said six firefighting teams brought fires under control at operating units in the Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries, which were hit by drone attacks in a series of hostile strikes. No injuries were reported.

Oman condemned the attacks on energy facilities in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, stressing the need to adhere to international law and avoid targeting civilian infrastructure and global energy supplies. It also expressed solidarity with affected countries and their efforts to maintain security and stability.

In retaliation for an Israeli strike on its South Pars gasfield, Iran has intensified pressure on Gulf nations by targeting key energy infrastructure across the region. On the 20th day of the conflict, multiple sites were hit. Qatar reported missile strikes on Ras Laffan Industrial City, its main gas hub, causing significant damage. In Kuwait, drones struck the Mina al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries, triggering fires but causing no injuries. The UAE said falling debris from intercepted missiles led to incidents at the Habshan gas facility and Bab oilfield, with no casualties reported. In Saudi Arabia, a drone crash at Aramco’s Samref refinery in Yanbu has prompted an ongoing damage assessment.

Israeli air strike near Nabatieh in southern Lebanon damaged parts of Sheikh Ragheb Harb University Hospital, including its intensive care unit, after a nearby building was hit. The hospital said patients and staff suffered from smoke inhalation and called the incident a serious breach of international law that endangered lives.

Iraqi Kurdistan-focused Gulf Keystone Petroleum suspended its 2026 financial forecasts on Thursday as the oil and gas producer weighs the impact of the ongoing Iran war.

The Iran conflict adds to the ⁠challenges ​facing Gulf Keystone, whose operations at its Shaikan field were closed after the February 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Keystone said in a statement it will put its average production guidance of ​37,000 ​to 41,000 barrels of oil per ⁠day (bopd) under review until the Shaikan operations resumed. It said its average production had risen ‌to almost 44,000 bopd towards the end of February, up from 41,560 bopd in 2025.

The London-listed company, which has navigated years of operation halts and suspension of Kurdish oil exports due to an arbitration involving Turkey and Iraq, also said it was suspending its 2026 net ⁠capital expenditure, operating ⁠costs and its general and administrative expenses outlook.

According to a Reuters update, the Trump administration is now considering the possibility of deploying thousands of troops to ⁠reinforce its operation in the Middle East. The deployments could help provide Trump with additional options as he weighs expanding US operations. But it will also entrench the US deeper into a foreign war --- the like of which Trump had repeatedly promised never to do.

The US operations under consideration reportedly include securing safe passage for oil tankers through the ⁠Strait of Hormuz, a mission that would be accomplished primarily through air and naval forces.

Saudi Arabia said a drone hit the country’s SAMREF refinery in the port city of Yanbu on the Red Sea on Thursday. The Saudi Defense Ministry announced the news, saying without elaborating that “damage assessment in underway.”

SAMREF is a joint venture between the kingdom’s oil giant Saudi Aramco and ExxonMobil that processes more than 400,000 barrels per day of Arabian Light crude oil. The attack on the Red Sea now reaches into Saudi Arabia’s assets there, where it has been trying to lift crude oil out to the global market via pipeline to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, which remains under Iranian attack.

Brent crude prices have now hit $114 --- up from under $73 per barrel on the eve of the war. The European TTF benchmark for natural gas prices traded 24% higher on Thursday.

Global oil and natural gas prices have skyrocketed amid a wave of Iranian attacks on Gulf energy sites. The attacks have raised fears that the global energy crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic would be longer and more extensive than feared, with lasting damage to oil and gas production.

Kuwait said a drone attack set a second oil refinery ablaze in the small, oil-rich nation on Thursday. The blaze hit the Mina Abdullah refinery.

The nearby Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery earlier caught fire after a drone attack.

Kuwait said on Thursday that a drone attack had sparked a fire at an oil refinery in the small, oil-rich nation.

The state-run KUNA news agency cited the Kuwait Petroleum Corp. for the announcement.

It said the drone attack sparked a fire at the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery but caused no injuries.

The refinery is one of the biggest in the Middle East, with a petroleum production capacity of 730,000 barrels per day.

According to a Reuters update, the Samref refinery run by oil giant Saudi Aramco off the Red Sea port of Yanbu was targeted in an aerial attack. Sources told the publication that there was minimal impact.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards on Thursday issued an evacuation warning to several oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, including Samref, which is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Exxon Mobil. Yanbu is currently the only export outlet for any crude oil out of Gulf Arab countries as Iran has effectively shut down the vital strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s judiciary announced Thursday the execution of three men detained in January’s nationwide protests, the first such sentences known to have been carried out.

Iran’s Mizan news agency reported the executions and identified the men as Mehdi Ghasemi, Saleh Mohammadi and Saeed Davvodi.

Iran typically carries out the death penalty with hangings.

The three men allegedly stabbed two police officers to death in Qom, some 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of the capital, Tehran, during the protests.

Iran’s judiciary had been threatening to carry out executions of those arrested in the protests.

According to an Al Jazeera update citing the Kuwaiti army, air defences are presently “confronting hostile missile and drone attacks”. This comes about an hour after the Kuwait National Guard said it shot down several drones. The army has advised the public to adhere to “security and safety instructions” and says any explosions heard are the result of interceptions.

According to the UKMTO, another vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile in the Persian Gulf. This comes mere hours after a similar report from Ras Laffan in Qatar. It received the report at 01.30 GMT on Thursday and authorities were continuing to investigate.

UKMTO said earlier that another vessel was hit east of the UAE port of Khawr Fakkan in the Gulf of Oman – near the strait of Hormuz – by an unknown projectile that caused a fire onboard. That report came at 23.00 GMT on Wednesday.

Satellite images show damage at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates after repeated Iranian attacks targeting the facility hosting American troops.

The images, taken Sunday by an Airbus Defence and Space’s Pléiades Neo satellite and analyzed by The Associated Press, show damage at one set of hangars to the northwest of the facility in Abu Dhabi.

Another hangar to the southeast of the facility appears shredded by fire, with an adjacent hangar sustaining roof damage.

It’s unclear what had been in the hangars.

Al Dhafra had hosted some 2,000 U.S. troops and has served as a major base of operations for everything from armed drones to F-35 stealth fighters in recent years.

The U.S. military for years only vaguely referred to Al Dhafra as a base in “southwest Asia” before the UAE became more willing to acknowledge the U.S. presence there.