{"id":16479,"date":"2026-03-12T19:26:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/16479\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T19:26:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:26:19","slug":"putins-hidden-hand-behind-iranian-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/16479\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Putin\u2019s hidden hand\u2019 behind Iranian attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The US will be escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior official has said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The secretary of the treasury, Scott Bessent, said that the US navy would be working in the key shipping lane \u201cas soon as it is militarily possible\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Bessent told Sky News that the US ships could operate with an \u201cinternational coalition\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">He added that Iran had not mined the strait because Iranian tankers had been passing through.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Earlier Iran\u2019s new supreme leader said that blocking of the strait of Hormuz should \u201cdefinitely still be used\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran has attacked ships and energy infrastructure in the region and the oil price has soared, which is likely to have a damaging effect on the global economy.<\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s PM speaks to president of Iran<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Narendra Modi, India\u2019s prime minister, has called the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the situation in the region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Modi reiterated India\u2019s commitment to peace and stability, urging for dialogue and diplomacy. In a post on social media, he said he expressed \u201cdeep concern over the escalation of tension and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThe safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India\u2019s top priorities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">It comes after an earlier report said Iran would allow Indian-flagged tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz, according to an Indian source. However an Iranian source based outside of the country denied that any such agreement had been reached.<\/p>\n<p>IDF strikes Iran\u2019s paramilitary checkpoints<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Israel\u2019s military said it had struck checkpoints in Tehran set up by the Basij paramilitary force of Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards, as part of efforts to undermine control by the authorities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cOver the past day, the Israeli Air Force, acting on [military] intelligence, has targeted the Basij roadblocks and operatives,\u201d the IDF said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThese forces led the regime\u2019s primary efforts to suppress internal protests, particularly in recent months, employing severe violence, mass arrests and the use of force against civilian demonstrators.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>G7 ministers to hold war discussions<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The foreign ministers from the G7 will have detailed discussions on diplomatic efforts related to the war in Iran when they meet near Paris at a scheduled meeting at the end of March, Anita Anand, Canada\u2019s foreign minister, said on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">France, which is currently chairing the group, will host the first of two foreign ministers meeting on March 26-27 in Paris.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cWe will be having a full-fledged conversation about the diplomatic efforts relating to the war,\u201d Anand said on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>People evacuate during strikes on Lebanon<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Israeli Defence Force has launched a \u201cbroad wave of strikes\u201d in southern Lebanon, targeting infrastructure linked to Hezbollah. <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">In a post on X, the IDF said the strikes were \u201cparallel\u201d with the strikes being carried out in Beirut.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Israel also ordered mass evacuations in those same areas, prompting more than 800,000 people to flee their homes.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People gather in Beirut after an evacuation order\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/34c4b052-1ae4-4021-b928-e98fceb2b577.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>People gather in Beirut after an evacuation order<\/p>\n<p>CLAUDIA GRECO\/REUTERS<\/p>\n<p>UN secretary-general urges de-escalation<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, has called for de-escalation and dialogue in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThe unfolding crisis in the Middle East constitutes a grave threat to international peace and security and has caused immense suffering for civilians,\u201d he posted on X. \u201cDe-escalation and dialogue are the only way out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cI strongly urge all parties to cease the hostilities, uphold international law, protect civilians and return immediately to the negotiating table.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>French oil firm\u2019s production cut by 15 per cent<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">TotalEnergies, a French multinational integrated energy and petroleum company, said on Thursday it had shut down 15 per cent of its total oil and gas production due to the war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cProduction has been shut down or is in the process of shutting down in Qatar, Iraq and UAE offshore, representing approximately 15 per cent of our total output,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">TotalEnergies said, however, that higher oil prices would more than compensate for the loss of Middle East production.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Tehran\u2019s retaliatory strikes on shipping and Gulf neighbours have nearly cut off maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which pass around a fifth of the world\u2019s oil and liquefied natural gas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">TotalEnergies said it was the world\u2019s third largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) player and was also involved in oil and renewable energies.<\/p>\n<p>Israel did not \u2018plan for regime change\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Israel had no plan for regime change in Iran when it attacked the country, with expectations that airstrikes could lead to a popular uprising resting on \u201cwishful thinking\u201d rather than hard intelligence, according to the Guardian which cited security sources.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">If the regime remained in power, the long-term measure of success in the military campaign could rest on the stores of enriched uranium buried far underground during US strikes last June, Israeli defence and intelligence sources said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">There was enough to build ten nuclear warheads if the material stayed in Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThese 440kg of uranium are one of the clearest litmus tests for how this war ends, whether it is a success,\u201d said one official. \u201cWe need to be in a position where either this material is out of Iran, or you have a regime where you are confident that it is safeguarded [inside Iran] in a very meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>US strikes hit 6,000 Iranian targets<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Munitions are loaded into a US Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/6a395701-e778-4e4e-8a14-415a88a06da4.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Munitions are loaded into a US Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire<\/p>\n<p>CHRISTOPHER FURLONG\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The US military has hit 6,000 Iranian targets so far, according to the latest figures from Central Command.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">At least 60 ships and 30 minelayers have also been damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">It said the targets included IRGC headquarters and intelligence sites, ballistic missile sites, air defence systems and weapons production facilities among others.<\/p>\n<p>White House: Threat of California attacks is fake news<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The White House has condemned a report by ABC News that said the FBI warned police of possible retaliatory attacks by Iran involving drone launches against the west coast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, said the outlet had provided \u201cfalse information to intentionally alarm the American people\u201d, and downplayed the existence of any serious threat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThey wrote this based on one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip,\u201d she wrote on X. \u201cThe email even states the tip was based on unverified intelligence. Yet ABC News left out this critical fact in their story! WHY?<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cTO BE CLEAR: No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Emergency meeting over shipping in the Middle East to be held<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">An emergency meeting of officials will be held in London next week to discuss threats to shipping in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The International Maritime Organisation will convene for an \u201cextraordinary session\u201d at its headquarters between March 18 and 19.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The meeting was requested by six of the group\u2019s 40 members: Britain, Egypt, France, Morocco, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Strait of Hormuz \u2014 through which a fifth of global oil passes \u2014 has been effectively shut down by Iranian retaliatory attacks against ships and its Gulf neighbours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">On Thursday, an attack on two oil tankers off Iraq killed at least one crew member, while a cargo ship caught fire after being hit by shrapnel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran\u2019s new supreme leader ordered the strait to remain closed, while President Trump said stopping the Islamic Republic\u2019s \u201cevil empire\u201d was more important than oil prices, which soared on Thursday to above $100.<\/p>\n<p>Foreign Office withdraws staff from Baghdad<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Foreign Office has temporarily withdrawn some staff from its embassy in Iraq due to the conflict.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Its embassy in Baghdad will continue to operate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">A warning against all travel to the country, which borders Iran, remains in place.<\/p>\n<p>Academics killed in strike on Lebanon university<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An Israeli strike on Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs leaves a building exposed\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/ee739354-9120-41f7-b17b-678533915187.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>An Israeli strike on Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs leaves a building exposed<\/p>\n<p>STRINGER\/REUTERS<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Two academics have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on the campus of Lebanon\u2019s public university, state media reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The director of the faculty of sciences at the south Beirut campus, Hussein Bazzi, and Professor Mortada Srour were killed by an Israeli drone strike on the university, the National News Agency said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The campus is located on the edge of Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs, an area under Hezbollah\u2019s sway, which was spared in the last war between the pro-Iran militant group and Israel.<\/p>\n<p>US opposition to the war is weakening<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Americans are less opposed to the US-Israeli war against Iran now than they were when the conflict began on February 28.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">However, more people would still prefer that the strikes cease rather than continue. A poll of 1,005 Americans by the Washington Post found that 42 per cent oppose the US military campaign, 40 per cent support it and 17 per cent are unsure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">In a poll conducted shortly after the attacks began, only 39 per cent were supportive and 52 per cent were opposed to it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Just 35 per cent said the Trump administration had clearly explained its goals behind the military action and 65 per cent said it had not.<\/p>\n<p>Iran wants to stop future war being \u2018imposed\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran wants to ensure that a war will not be imposed again on it in the future, the deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi has said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cWe want to see that war is not going to be imposed again on Iran,\u201d Takht-Ravanchi told the AFP news agency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cWhen the war started last June, after 12 days there was a so-called cessation of hostilities \u2026 but after eight or nine months, they regrouped and they did it again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Analysts have previously said the regime is determined to survive and carry on an attritional war, even as the US and Israel intensify their air strikes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cIf the White House imagines the conflict will stop when Donald Trump decides it \u2026 they\u2019re making a mistake and ignoring the lessons of history,\u201d Pierre Razoux, of the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies, said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThe Iranian regime, which no longer has anything to lose, will wage a war of attrition against the US and Israel to punish them for their aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Healey: Russia linked to Iranian attacks<\/p>\n<p>John Healey speaks about Russian involvement in Iran<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cPutin\u2019s hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics\u201d deployed against British, American, Israeli and Gulf allies, the defence secretary has said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">John Healey gave the assessment after being briefed by military chiefs at Northwood Headquarters, the main command centre of Britain\u2019s armed forces, on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Healey was told by Lieutenant General Nicholas Perry that analysis of Iranian drone attacks had \u201cdefinitively\u201d revealed a link to Russia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThey\u2019re flying them much lower, and therefore they are effective \u2026 It\u2019s the drones that are causing the biggest damage across the region for our allies,\u201d Perry said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">A military source told The Times that the suicide drone that slipped past British defences in Cyprus was able to do so due to its small size and because it was flying low and close to the water at night amid electronic interference.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">It later emerged that the drone contained Russian hardware, specifically a Kometa-B navigation system.<\/p>\n<p>IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Beirut<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Israeli military said it had begun a wave of strikes across Beirut on Thursday, after it warned residents in a central neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital that it would target a building there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThe IDF has begun a wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure across Beirut,\u201d a military statement said, as footage showed a strike hitting a central Beirut building.<\/p>\n<p>Trump: Iran should not play in Fifa tournament<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran\u2019s national football team should not participate in the Fifa World Cup \u201cfor their own life and safety\u201d, President Trump has posted on Truth Social, in the run-up to the tournament that is due to take place in the US, as well as Canada and Mexico.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThe Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don\u2019t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety. Thank you for your attention to this matter!\u201d Trump wrote on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">A day earlier, the sports minister of Iran, Ahmad Donyamali, said that his country would not take part in the tournament, due to start in June.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">But Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, had previously said that Trump\u2019s view was that Iran would be \u201cwelcome\u201d to compete.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Largest supply disruption ever\u2019 in oil market<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil has risen to just over $100, up 8.5 per cent today. It follows reported comments from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei who vowed to continue to block the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The rise in the oil price comes after the International Energy Authority said the war in the Middle East is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. It also warned that Wednesday\u2019s emergency release of 400 million barrels of oil was only a \u201cstop-gap measure\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Aluminium prices have also hit their highest level in almost four years due to the war. Deliveries from aluminium producers in the region account for around 9 per cent of the global aluminium supply. The benchmark three month aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange rose 1 per cent to $3,492 a metric ton, its highest since March 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Fire on US aircraft shift not combat related<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">A fire broke out Thursday aboard an American aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, injuring two sailors, the US navy said, although the cause was not combat related.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">According to US Central Command, the fire originated in the main laundry spaces of the USS Gerald R Ford, and the two sailors are receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The ship\u2019s engines were not affected and the carrier continues to be fully operational, off the coast of Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The aircraft carrier is participating in Operation Epic Fury, the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, having transited the Suez Canal last week alongside its escort ships, the USS Mahan, USS Bainbridge and USS Winston S Churchill.<\/p>\n<p>Coalition base hit by Iranian suicide drones<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">A base housing British and American troops in Iraq has been hit by Iranian kamikaze drones in the third successful strike against UK forces since the start of the war. Some American troops were hurt but there were no British casualties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Specialist counter-drone troops used surface-to-air missiles to destroy two \u201cunmanned aerial systems\u201d heading for their coalition camp in Erbil, northern Iraq, overnight on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">An unknown number of the one-way attack bombs made it past their air defences, however, striking the base and injuring American soldiers stationed there, who were not seriously harmed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The same camp was hit on the first day of the conflict almost two weeks ago, when British personnel came within 400m of an Iranian missile strike. The next day a suicide drone, believed to have been fired by Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, hit RAF Akrotiri, Britain\u2019s airbase in Cyprus, blowing a hole in a hangar housing American spy planes.<\/p>\n<p>Police to use Thames as barrier to split al-Quds march<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Police will use the Thames to separate al-Quds Day demonstrators and anti-Iranian protesters on Sunday while enforcing strict conditions with more than 1,000 officers on duty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Met said it would use the river as a physical barrier for the first time to separate the groups because of the \u201cunique set of circumstances\u201d facing the force.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Strict conditions require the al-Quds Day demonstration to take place on the Albert Embankment on the south bank of the Thames, while counterprotests will be constrained to the Millbank area on the north side. The demonstration will be limited to two hours between 1pm and 3pm, with anyone breaching either the timing or location conditions facing arrest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/topic\/metropolitan-police\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Met<\/a> is expecting at least 12,000 people to turn out.<\/p>\n<p>US military declassifies video of strikes on Iranian vehicles<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Video released by Central Command of strikes on stationary targets\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773343572_61_\/a6f94450-b269-40d2-9e69-85269c24c3a7.gif\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Video released by Central Command of strikes on stationary targets<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Further videos of direct strikes on Iranian rocket launchers and vehicles were declassified by the US military on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The black and white footage showed several targets being engulfed in explosions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cWe are eliminating Iran\u2019s ability to threaten American forces and regional partners through lethality and precision,\u201d US Central Command said.<\/p>\n<p>Iranian commander vows to keep Strait of Hormuz closed<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy has pledged to inflict the \u201charshest blows\u201d on Iran\u2019s enemies by keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, posted on X after Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei\u2019s statement, saying: \u201cIn response to the order of the commander-in-chief, while maintaining the strategy of keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed, we will deliver the harshest blows to the aggressor enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump: Higher oil prices means greater profits<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Shortly before the first official statement from Iran\u2019s new supreme leader, President Trump had posted on Truth Social that rising oil prices mean greater profits for the US. But Trump added that his priority remained stopping Iran from having nuclear weapons. <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">He wrote: \u201cThe United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money. BUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stoping [sic] an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World. I won\u2019t ever let that happen!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Khamenei describes his father\u2019s dead body<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Khamenei said he had seen the body of his father, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on February 28.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cI had the opportunity to visit his body after his martyrdom; what I saw was a mountain of strength and I heard that his healthy hand was clenched in a fist,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">After the strike, President Trump, along with the Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, were reported to have been shown a photograph of Ali Khamenei\u2019s body, but this has not been made public.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Ali Khamenei is due to be buried in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, although a date has not yet been set for the funeral.<\/p>\n<p>Mojtaba Khamenei may rule merely as a figurehead<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Analysis by Samer Al-Atrush<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mojtaba Khamenei\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/c6bb213d-e74c-4091-b8a6-0630d321636e.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Mojtaba Khamenei<\/p>\n<p>AMIR KHOLOUSI\/REUTERS<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Mojtaba Khamenei has issued his first speech as Iran\u2019s supreme leader, according to state media, in which he signalled a more hardline stance by the regime after his predecessor and father Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">In a speech read out by a state TV presenter, Khamenei called for the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and for an end to US bases in the region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">His remarks go some way to explaining why Iran\u2019s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which consolidated power under Ali Khamenei, supported his son\u2019s succession. The new supreme leader will struggle to check their power and may, for now, rule merely as a figurehead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cRight now it doesn\u2019t look like there\u2019s anyone to answer to \u2014 [the Guards] just make decisions and move forward among themselves,\u201d Sanam Vakil, Chatham House\u2019s Middle East director, said while referring to the alliance of Guards and bureaucrats who control the country.<\/p>\n<p>Khamenei: We will take compensation from the enemy<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The supreme leader also threatened to seize or destroy assets as \u201ccompensation\u201d for the war, although he did not specify details. <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cWe will take compensation from the enemy, and if they refuse, we will seize as much of their property as we deem appropriate, and if that too is not possible, we will destroy that same amount of their property,\u201d Khamenei\u2019s statement adds.<\/p>\n<p>Iran limiting attacks on Gulf states, Khamenei says<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Khamenei claimed that Iran was limiting its retaliations to their enemies\u2019 \u201cmilitary and financial bases\u201d in other Middle Eastern countries, although a much broader pattern of attacks has already been seen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">He called on US allies to close those bases as soon as possible, \u201cbecause they must have realised by now that the claim of establishing security and peace by America was nothing more than a lie\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThe enemy has been gradually establishing military and financial bases in some of these countries for years to ensure its dominance over the region,\u201d the supreme leader said. \u201cIn the recent attack, some military bases were used, and naturally, as we had explicitly warned, we simply attacked those bases without attacking those countries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Khamenei said: \u201cWe still believe in the need for friendship between ourselves and those neighbours, but these countries must make their duty clear to the aggressors of our beloved homeland and the murderers of our people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Iran will \u2018avenge death of supreme leader\u2019<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A mourner holds a poster depicting Mojtaba Khamenei, right, the successor to Ali Khamenei, left, his father\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/e9b056ec-fe9a-4220-b6a6-9d6b36c15c41.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A mourner holds a poster depicting Mojtaba Khamenei, right, the successor to Ali Khamenei, left, his father<\/p>\n<p>VAHID SALEMI\/AP<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Khamenei spoke of the loss of his father, the previous supreme leader, other senior leaders and his own family during the war, as well as referring to a deadly US missile strike on a girl\u2019s school in Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cI assure everyone that we will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs,\u201d he added. Khamenei vowed to avenge not only the \u201cmartyrdom\u201d of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but \u201cevery member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy is an independent subject for revenge\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cWe will be especially sensitive to the blood of our children and grandchildren,\u201d he added. \u201cTherefore, the crime that the enemy deliberately committed in the case of the Shajareh Tayyebeh Minab School and some similar cases has a special place in this investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Khamenei thanks Iran\u2019s allies abroad<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Khamenei expressed \u201csincere gratitude\u201d to the fighters of the Resistance Front, referring to Iran\u2019s allies and proxy groups based abroad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">He referred to Hezbollah in Lebanon and pro-Tehran militants in Iraq, and noted the historic support of Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels during the war in Gaza. The Yemeni group has not attacked shipping infrastructure on the Red Sea so far in the current conflict.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cAs we have seen, the brave and faithful Yemen did not stop defending the oppressed people of Gaza, and the devoted Hezbollah has come to the aid of the Islamic Republic despite all obstacles, and the Iraqi resistance has also courageously taken the same line,\u201d Khamenei said.<\/p>\n<p>Iran looking at \u2018opening other fronts\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Addressing his \u201cbrothers in arms\u201d the supreme leader\u2019s statement added: The will of the masses is to continue the effective and regrettable defence [of the country]. The lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely be used.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">He claimed that Iran is looking at \u201copening other fronts where the enemy has little experience and will be extremely vulnerable, and their activation will take place if the war situation continues\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Supreme leader thanks Iranian armed forces<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Mojtaba Khamenei thanked Iran\u2019s armed forces for responding to unjust attacks by the leaders of the \u201carrogant front,\u201d referring to the US and Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">They \u201chave blocked the enemy\u2019s path with their crushing blows and have removed them from the illusion of the possibility of dominating our beloved homeland and possibly dividing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s new supreme leader issues first message<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran\u2019s new supreme leader had said all American military bases in the Middle East should immediately be closed and that the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz should \u201cdefinitely still be used\u201d as a tool to pressure the enemy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iranian state media is reading out the first message of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, but he is not being seen or heard from himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Khamenei also called for Iranians and supporters to unite on Friday for Quds Day, an annual event held during Ramadan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cIran will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs,\u201d Khamenei added.<\/p>\n<p>Iran threatens to target Middle East power grids<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Ali Larijani, Iran\u2019s national security council secretary, threatened on Thursday to target power grids in the region if the United States attacked the Islamic republic\u2019s electricity supplies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cIf they do that, the whole region will go dark in less than half an hour and darkness provides ample opportunity to hunt down US servicemen running for safety,\u201d Larijani said on X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">President Trump has said US forces could knock out Iran\u2019s electricity supply \u201cwithin one hour\u201d, leaving the country with reconstruction that could take a generation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">German shipowner Hapag-Lloyd said on Thursday that one of their cargo vessels in the Gulf caught fire after being \u201chit with shrapnel\u201d overnight, adding that no one was injured.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">A company spokesman told AFP that \u201cwe don\u2019t know where [the debris] came from, whether it was a rocket or a drone\u201d or another munition. He said \u201cthe fire has been put out and the crew is unharmed\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The container ship, the Liberian-flagged Source Blessing, was sub-chartered by Hapag-Lloyd to Maersk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">It is the third ship confirmed to have been attacked on Thursday after a strike on two oil tankers off Iraq killed at least one crew member.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">At the beginning of the Middle East conflict, Hapag-Lloyd had announced that it would suspend passage of its vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>Bombings cannot overthrow regime, opposition group says<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">An Iranian opposition group based overseas acknowledged on Thursday that the US-Israeli war on Iran would not topple the clerical leadership, and argued that only a popular uprising backed by internal resistance could do so.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThe 12-day war in June, and the current war, now in its 12th day, proved that bombings cannot overthrow the regime,\u201d Mohammad Mohaddessin, the head of foreign policy at the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cEven if you have 50,000 armed soldiers on the ground, you need the support of Iranian people. You need a popular uprising. The combination of this 50,000 or 20,000 or any other number with a popular uprising, then you have this power to overthrow the regime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A member of Iraq\u2019s Hashd al-Shaabi forces in front of a banner depicting Iran\u2019s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Baghdad\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/50f881e2-e6c8-4c68-8df4-96e0d2a744cc.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A member of Iraq\u2019s Hashd al-Shaabi forces in front of a banner depicting Iran\u2019s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Baghdad<\/p>\n<p>AHMAD AL-RUBAYE\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Mohaddesin said he did not consider a deployment of US ground troops realistic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The NCRI, also known as Mujahideen-e-Khalq, is an umbrella group of various factions opposed not just to the Islamic Republic but also a return of the shah or a monarchy in Iran. It was listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States until 2012 and is banned in Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Mohaddessin acknowledged that his group alone could not bring down the system. But he predicted that mass protests, like those that spread in January until they were violently quashed, would resume once the bombing stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Islamic countries condemn Israel for shutting mosque<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Eight Islamic and Arab countries on Thursday condemned Israel for keeping the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem closed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Israel has shut all holy sites in east Jerusalem\u2019s Old City for security reasons after it began airstrikes against Iran. The closure coincides with Ramadan, when tens of thousands of Palestinian Muslims would normally pray every Friday at the mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said continuing to restrict access was \u201cillegal and unjustified\u201d and \u201cprovocative\u201d. They added it was \u201ca flagrant violation to international law \u2026 and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Police announced last Monday that all holy sites in the Old City, including the Western Wall, al-Aqsa mosque, Temple Mount complex and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, would remain closed \u201cto safeguard public safety and human life\u201d. Israel occupied east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in a move that is not internationally recognised.<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s new supreme leader to deliver message<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The first message from Iran\u2019s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will be released shortly, Iranian state media reported on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iranian reports suggested that Iran\u2019s leader would comment on the death of his father Ali Khamenei, the role and responsibilities of the people, the armed forces, executive bodies, and the role of Iran\u2019s resistance proxy groups, as well as its war with the US and Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The lack of any previous statement or appearance from Khamenei since he succeeded his father had fuelled speculation that he was injured or incapacitated during US-Israeli strikes. Unconfirmed reports have even claimed he was in a coma, or had lost a leg, after his father, mother, wife and son were killed by Israeli bombing on February 28, the first day of the war.<\/p>\n<p>Details of second tanker attack revealed<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Information about the second ship hit by an Iranian attack in Iraqi waters have been confirmed by its managing company.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Zefyros tanker was targeted by an unknown projectile during a ship-to-ship transfer with the oil tanker Safesea Vishnu at Iraq\u2019s Umm Qasar anchorage, the vessel\u2019s Greece-based manager Benetech Shipping SA said on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Safesea VIshnu\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773343575_194_\/7e1f5db4-55ad-47d6-8bca-89f76f141f80.gif\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The incident took place at 11.41pm local time on Wednesday, the company said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cAll 23 crew members are safe and accounted for. They have been evacuated and were brought to shore,\u201d Benetech Shipping said, adding that the vessel\u2019s condition was being assessed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Earlier an Indian sailor was reported to have died during the attack on the vessels.<\/p>\n<p>US soldiers severely injured in Kuwait strike <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Dozens of US service members suffered serious injuries in Kuwait, including brain trauma, shrapnel wounds and burns, according to CBS news.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/us\/american-politics\/article\/soldiers-killed-iran-names-how-many-died-x0zmfhqkb\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Six troops were killed<\/a> in a drone strike in the country during the first week of the war against Iran. Injuries sustained by others in the same strike have been reported as more severe than first thought. At least one of the soldiers may need to have a limb amputated, sources told the outlet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">They described a chaotic scene after the strike on March 1 involving difficult conditions for rescuers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">More than 30 service members remained in hospitals as of Tuesday this week, including about 20 who arrived via military transport aircraft reserved for those with \u201curgent\u201d injuries.<\/p>\n<p>US unable to provide naval escorts <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The US energy secretary has said that the country will not be able to provide naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">President Trump last week promised to assist vessels after Iran threatened any that tried to cross. He wrote on Truth Social: \u201cIf necessary, the United States navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">On Thursday Chris Wright told CNBC that the US was unable to do so now, but that it was \u201cquite likely\u201d it could by the end of the month.<\/p>\n<p>Exhibitions group postpones Middle East events<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Informa, the world\u2019s largest exhibitions group, has postponed events in the Middle East until the end of the year due to conflict in the region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Stephen Carter, the chief executive, said only a nominal number of clients have withdrawn from events in the region due to the conflict. He added that this involved some rescheduling costs that the company would \u201chave to swallow\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The British group runs events in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. This year\u2019s Dubai International Boat Show is reported to have been rescheduled from April to November. Informa shares, down 11 per cent so far this year, slid 0.7 per cent to 774p.<\/p>\n<p>IDF kills senior Iranian commander <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The IDF announced on Thursday that a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operations commander working with Hezbollah in Beirut had been assassinated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Abu Dharr Mohammadi was a \u201ccentral figure coordinating between Hezbollah and the Iranian terror regime\u201d, the military said, adding that he played a crucial part in rehabilitating the militant group\u2019s missile programme after Operation Northern Arrows, an airstrike campaign launched by Israel in September 2024 against Hezbollah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Israeli military said on Thursday that Hezbollah had fired about 200 rockets at Israel the night before in what it described as the Lebanese armed group\u2019s \u201cbiggest barrage\u201d since the war began.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told journalists: \u201cLast night, Hezbollah timed a simultaneous attack with Iran, firing rockets and drones at towns and communities across Israel. The numbers [are] about approximately 200 rockets, approximately 20 UAVs [drones] and combine those with ballistic missiles that were being fired from Iran in the same time,\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">He added: \u201cWe had a good aerial defence and rapid response, resulting in minimal casualties, only two or three direct hits\u2026 and a few civilians that were lightly injured.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>IDF apologises to Israelis for failing to warn of Iran-Hezbollah barrage<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Footage from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps showing the launch of a missile targeting Israel\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/5c762fbb-28d5-45aa-aaca-4d389fd84de3.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Footage from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps showing the launch of a missile targeting Israel<\/p>\n<p>AFP<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Israeli military has apologised to the public for not alerting them sooner to Hezbollah\u2019s barrage overnight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">In the largest attack of the conflict so far, the militant group and Iran planned to launch about 600 rockets and 60 drones. Ultimately 200 rockets and 20 drones were launched, hitting some residential areas in Israel, causing damage and leaving two people with minor injuries, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. Most of the projectiles were intercepted or fell in open areas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had carried out a \u201cjoint and integrated operation\u201d alongside Hezbollah, aimed at more than 50 targets including military bases in Haifa, Tel Aviv and Beersheba. It was the first time that Iran and Hezbollah had coordinated attacks since the conflict broke out almost two weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The IDF said it made a mistake in not updating the public ahead of the attack on Wednesday evening. Officials admitted they should have been more transparent about assessments of the barrage, particularly when it was reported by international media.<\/p>\n<p>Indian sailor killed after oil tanker hit by Iranian suicide boat<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">An Indian sailor was killed after an oil tanker was hit in the Gulf on Thursday by an Iranian suicide boat designed for kamikaze missions, according to reports.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attack on the Safesea Vishnu tanker in Iraqi territorial waters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran\u2019s state news agency IRNA reported that the Marshall Islands-flagged ship was hit \u201cafter it failed to comply with warnings and requests from the Revolutionary Guard Navy\u201d. According to Iran, the ship is US-owned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Another tanker was also attacked on Thursday, also in Iraqi waters.<\/p>\n<p>Iranian nuclear site hit by strikes, Israeli military claims<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Israeli military said on Thursday that it had struck an Iranian site used for developing nuclear weapons capabilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cAs part of the waves of strikes completed in recent days in Tehran, the air force struck, with precise guidance from military intelligence, another site in the Iranian nuclear programme, the \u2018Taleqan\u2019 site, which the regime used to advance critical capabilities in developing nuclear weapon,\u201d the Israel Defence Forces announced on X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThe site was used in recent years to develop advanced explosives and conduct sensitive experiments as part of \u2018Project Amad\u2019, the secret programme to develop nuclear weapons in the 2000s,\u201d it added. It claimed that Iran had for a while abandoned the site but started using it again in late 2024.<\/p>\n<p>US military publishes video showing strikes on Iranian aircraft<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Drone footage showing an aircraft on an airfield with &quot;UNCLASSIFIED&quot; and targeting reticles visible.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773343577_174_\/930eae9b-48f7-4216-9ff5-76b05efc9631.gif\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Footage released by the US Central Command<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The US military published footage showing airstrikes on Iranian aircraft early on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The context of the strikes or when they happened was difficult to verify.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThe Iranian regime is losing air capability day by day. US forces aren\u2019t just defending against Iranian threats, we are methodically dismantling them\u201d the US Central Command said on X.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Video released by Central Command of strikes on stationary targets\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773343572_61_\/a6f94450-b269-40d2-9e69-85269c24c3a7.gif\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Video released by Central Command of strikes on stationary targets<\/p>\n<p>Iranian nuclear facility before and after strikes<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Taleghan 2 facility, a nuclear weapons research facility within the Parchin military complex, on March 6, top, and on March 11 after airstrikes\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/9b7b70c8-bc3a-4066-abe1-e99988b823c0.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Taleghan 2 facility, a nuclear weapons research facility within the Parchin military complex, on March 6, top, and on March 11 after airstrikes<\/p>\n<p>GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n<p>Iranian ambassador to UN rejects call to halt attacks on Gulf states<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran\u2019s ambassador to the UN rejected the UN security council\u2019s call for Tehran to halt its attacks on Gulf states.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Amir Saeid Iravani said Resolution 2817 was \u201cdeeply regrettable\u201d and \u201ca serious setback\u201d for the council\u2019s credibility. \u201cToday\u2019s action represents a blatant misuse of the security council mandate in pursuit of the political agendas of certain members, the various states responsible for the brutal war of aggression against my country,\u201d Iravani said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The council adopted the resolution yesterday with 13 votes in favour of condemning Iran\u2019s \u201cegregious attacks\u201d against its regional neighbours, and two abstentions by China and Russia. The resolution did not mention US or Israeli strikes on Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The resolution \u201cdemands the immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan\u201d. It also \u201ccondemns any actions or threats by the Islamic Republic of Iran aimed at closing, obstructing, or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Iran vows to \u2018abandon all restraint\u2019 if US attacks Gulf islands<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran\u2019s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Thursday that Tehran will \u201cabandon all restraint\u201d if the United States and Israel attack any of its islands in the Gulf.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cAny aggression against soil of Iranian islands will shatter all restraint. We will abandon all restraint and make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders,\u201d Ghalibaf said on X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">It was not immediately clear which islands he was referring to, but a recent Axios report cited US officials as saying that capturing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/world\/middle-east\/article\/kharg-island-iran-oil-industry-hx5gxf8qz\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kharg<\/a>, a hub for processing Iranian oil, was being considered as the war in the Middle East spirals.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The longer this war continues, the deeper the damage to the global economy\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Mohamed El-Erian speaking to Times Radio<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The UK can expect lower growth, higher unemployment, and more serious economic damage as the conflict continues, a former deputy director at the International Monetary Fund has warned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Mohamed El-Erian told Times Radio that \u201cthe longer this war continues, the deeper the damage to the global economy and the UK economy, and it is going to be harder to reverse quickly\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">He added: \u201cOn current projections, the UK would lose about half a per cent of growth, which will take the growth rate below 1 per cent, which is near stall speed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lower oil demand expected due to record supply disruption<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The global oil market is facing its largest supply disruption on record as the conflict in the Middle East halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly report on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The agency warned that Wednesday\u2019s release of a record 400 million barrels from emergency reserves was only a short-term measure, as the market outlook hinged on how quickly shipping through the strait could safely resume.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The conflict is weighing on demand. Flight cancellations across the region and supply disruptions are expected to reduce global oil consumption by about 1 million barrels a day in March and April, while demand growth for 2026 has been revised lower.<\/p>\n<p>US spent more than $11.3bn in first week of war, reports says<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The opening week of the war against Iran cost the United States more than $11.3 billion, lawmakers were told in a Pentagon briefing, according to a New York Times report which suggested that weapons and hardware were being used at an extremely high rate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The report citing unnamed sources familiar with Tuesday\u2019s closed-door briefing, said members of Congress were told that the figure excludes many costs connected with the build-up to the strikes, suggesting the final tally for the first week could rise substantially.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Defence officials had told Congress that roughly $5.6 billion worth of munitions were expended in just the first two days of fighting, according to US media, far higher than earlier public estimates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Iran War Cost Tracker website, an unofficial analysis which estimates the cost of the conflict in real time, showed a figure of more than $17.5 billion on its counter by Thursday morning.<br \/>According to the site, the United States was spending $1 billion per day on the war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">However, it pointed out that the true cost of the war was likely to be higher, as the figures do not take into account long-term expenses such as veteran healthcare.<\/p>\n<p>US-owned ship hit in Gulf, Iranian military says <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Thursday that they had struck a Marshall Islands-flagged ship, which they claimed was US-owned, in the northern part of the Gulf.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">On their website, known as Sepah News, the military force said the ship, named Safesea, was \u201cone of the assets of the US terrorist army\u201d and that it \u201cwas hit in the northern Gulf after ignoring and not complying with warnings and alerts\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>War hits UK package holiday group<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">On the Beach\u2019s shares fell 10 per cent on Thursday after it suspended its profit forecast, saying the Iran war had resulted in a sharp slowdown in bookings to destinations such as Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The company said that although it had limited exposure to the Middle East, demand for holidays in surrounding destinations had dropped since the conflict began. Analysts at Peel Hunt said On the Beach\u2019s move was unsurprising and they expect the company to be \u201cback on track after the Iran disruption concludes\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Israel warns Lebanese residents of strike targeting \u2018Hezbollah infrastructure\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Israeli military has issued more displacement orders to Lebanese residents, this time for people living in the eastern village of Douris in the Bekaa Valley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Israeli military\u2019s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said Israel plans to carry out a strike in the town targeting what he claimed was \u201cmilitary infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">In a post on X, he urged residents to move at least 300 metres away from a building marked in red on a map. \u201cFor your safety, you must evacuate immediately,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Dubai reports \u2018minor drone incident\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Dubai has reported a \u201cminor drone incident\u201d on Thursday after explosions were heard in the city\u2019s downtown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cDubai authorities are responding to a minor drone incident in the Al Bada\u2019a area. No injuries have been reported,\u201d the Dubai government\u2019s media office said on X.<\/p>\n<p>Oil eases in volatile trading<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The oil price has fallen back this morning after rising above $100 a barrel as Iran increased attacks on oil infrastructures and shipping in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Brent crude slid from $100.70 a barrel overnight to $96.51, up 5 per cent, as trading in Europe started. The price has been rising after the biggest release of oil reserves in 50 years by the International Energy Agency on Wednesday failed to calm fears about oil supplies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Stock markets remain wary. The FTSE 100 opened down 0.5 per cent, as rising defence and mining shares were offset by a fall in property and financial stocks on fears that higher energy prices will stoke inflation. making an interest rate cut less likely and even opening the way for a possible rate increase. Stock markets in Germany and France were also lower after subdued trading in Asia.<\/p>\n<p>Increased security at Oscars amid fears of Iranian drone strikes<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Oscars will have increased security amid the war in the Middle East and fears of an Iranian plan to attack California with drones.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">During a press conference on Wednesday, the Oscars telecast\u2019s executive producers Katy Mullan and Raj Kapoor said they wanted everybody to feel safe at the ceremony.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cWe have the support of the FBI and the LAPD, and it\u2019s a close collaboration,\u201d Kapoor said. \u201cThis show has to run like clockwork [\u2026] We want everybody to feel safe and protected and welcome, so it\u2019s our job as a producing team to make sure that that translates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, the Los Angeles County Sheriff\u2019s Department said: \u201cIn light of current global events, the department remains at an elevated level of readiness and is maintaining increased vigilance as we continue to protect our residents of Los Angeles county.<\/p>\n<p>Iraq halts operations at all oil terminals after strike<\/p>\n<p>Two fuel tankers attacked in Iraqi waters<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">An attack on Iraq\u2019s Basra port has forced authorities to halt operations at all the country\u2019s oil terminals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The strike early on Thursday that killed at least one person, an Indian national, was aimed at a ship engaged in an oil transfer in the Basra port on the Persian Gulf, according to Farhan al-Fartousi, the director-general of the General Company for Ports of Iraq.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Fartousi said in a statement reported by the state-run Iraqi News Agency that it remained unclear whether the ship was targeted by a flying or seaborne drone or a missile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Rescuers recovered one dead body and helped 38 others after the attack, while the \u201csearch continues for the missing\u201d. He said commercial ports in Iraq remained open but that oil terminals had been shut.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iraq\u2019s oil ministry said on Thursday it had \u201cdeep concern\u201d about incidents involving oil tankers in the Gulf. \u201cThe safety of navigation in international maritime corridors and energy supply routes must remain free from regional conflicts,\u201d the ministry added.<\/p>\n<p>Briton charged after filming missiles passing overhead in Dubai<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">A British man is among 21 people charged in the United Arab Emirates under cybercrime laws after the circulation of videos showing missile activity and explosions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The 60-year-old Briton said he filmed the scene as missiles passed overhead and deleted the footage immediately when asked, insisting he meant no harm, according to the campaign group Detained in Dubai.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The 21 suspects charged together are alleged to have used an information network or information technology tool to broadcast, publish, republish or circulate false news, rumours or provocative propaganda that may incite public opinion or disturb public security.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, said: \u201cThe charges sound extremely vague but serious on paper. In reality, the alleged conduct could be something as simple as sharing or commenting on a video that is already circulating online.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Penalties in such cases can include up to two years in prison, fines of up to \u00a340,000, or both, and foreign nationals could also face deportation, the organisation added.<\/p>\n<p>Seven people killed in Israeli strike on Beirut, Lebanon says<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Lebanon said an Israeli strike on central Beirut\u2019s seafront killed at least seven people early on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">It marks another attack in the heart of the capital as Iran-backed Hezbollah, which announced a major new operation against Israel, launched more missiles at Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The Israeli military said separately that it had carried out overnight strikes against Hezbollah on Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Local media aired footage showing smoke rising along the seaside road area after the strike in central Beirut, which the state-run National News Agency said targeted a car. \u201cThe Israeli enemy strike on Ramlet al-Bayda in Beirut led to an initial toll of seven dead and 21 wounded,\u201d the health ministry said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">It was the third attack in the heart of the capital since the war began. Israel has also repeatedly hit the southern suburbs of Beirut where Israeli military said on Thursday it had hit ten Hezbollah targets.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773343579_416_\/137c1092-a0ca-467b-90f2-8d18ba5bca2f.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut<\/p>\n<p>GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Lebanon\u2019s National News Agency reported on Thursday that Israeli strikes had also hit several towns in southern Lebanon, including Taybeh and al-Sultaniyya as well as Qana, near the city of Tyre.<br \/>Hezbollah said early on Thursday that it had fired missiles at an Israeli military intelligence base in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n<p>Iranian leaders depicted as bowling pins in video shared by White House<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles__Paragraph-sc-12n1gx9-4 cHqSOe\">Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using <a href=\"#\" class=\"styles__LinkPrivacyManager-sc-12n1gx9-7 gbNmVF\">privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The White House has published a video depicting Iranian officials as bowling pins being knocked down by a stars and stripes ball.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The video shows angry-looking, animated pins marching while carrying guns and holding a sign saying \u201cwe won\u2019t stop making nuclear weapons\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">A remix of Lynyrd Skynyrd\u2019s Free Bird plays in the background as they get knocked over, before a montage of US airstrikes on Iranian targets is shown. The White House official account shared the video on X with the caption \u201cSTRIKE\u201d accompanied by American eagle and explosion emojis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">It is the latest salvo in a propaganda war with Iran, which has included several AI-generated memes and an Iranian video depicting animated Lego figures of Trump, Binyamin Netanyahu and missile strikes.<\/p>\n<p>Iranian attacks on Gulf countries continue<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A fire inside a building near Dubai Creek Harbour after a drone attack\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/bc837ea4-271f-49de-8716-47449247cc02.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A fire inside a building near Dubai Creek Harbour after a drone attack<\/p>\n<p>REUTERS<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iranian attacks on Gulf countries are continuing and further strikes have been reported on land and at sea early on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Saudi Arabia\u2019s defence ministry said on Thursday it intercepted drones heading toward the Shaybah oil field, close to its border with the United Arab Emirates, at least three times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Bahrain reported Iran had carried out an attack on fuel tanks in the country and drones struck fuel tanks at Oman\u2019s Salalah port, where operations were subsequently suspended.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">A container ship was struck in the Persian Gulf near Dubai by an \u201cunknown projectile\u201d that caused a small fire, according to the UK\u2019s Maritime Trade Operations Centre.<\/p>\n<p>New Delhi secures oil waiver from Tehran, according to Indian source<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran will allow Indian-flagged tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz, an Indian source said on Thursday, although an Iranian source based outside the country denied any such agreement had been reached.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Iran has attacked at least 16 ships in the strait since Israel and the United States began their war on the country, including a Thai vessel bound for Kandla port in western India on Wednesday. Typically about 40 per cent of India\u2019s crude imports pass through the narrow pinch point as they come from the Gulf.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Reuters said the Indian source declined to be named, citing a lack of authorisation to speak to the media, while the Iranian source pointed to the sensitivity of the matter. Other Asian countries, including Pakistan to Thailand, have imposed austerity measures to conserve fuel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">India\u2019s foreign ministry and the Iranian embassy in New Delhi did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Tehran has warned that oil prices could surge to $200 a barrel, nearly double current levels.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s team meets Russian envoy to tackle oil crisis<\/p>\n<p>Trump vows to \u201clook at the straits\u201d amid oil crisis<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Russia\u2019s presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Thursday he had discussed the energy crisis with his American counterparts Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during a meeting of the US-Russia working group on economy that took place in Florida.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The US lifted some sanctions on Russian oil earlier this week \u2014 imposed because of Moscow\u2019s 2022 invasion of Ukraine \u2014 to ease prices as war engulfed the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cThank you, Steve, Jared, and Josh [Gruenbaum, White House senior adviser], for a productive meeting,\u201d Dmitriev posted on X. He added on Telegram: \u201cToday, many countries, primarily the United States, are beginning to better understand the key, systemic role of Russian oil and gas in ensuring the stability of the global economy, as well as the inefficiency and destructive nature of sanctions against Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Witkoff said earlier: \u201cThe teams discussed a variety of topics and agreed to stay in touch.\u201d Trump said this week that Putin, to whom he spoke on Monday, wanted to be \u201chelpful\u201d in relation to the Middle East war.<\/p>\n<p>Italian base in Iraq \u2018attacked\u2019 <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Antonio Tajani, Italy\u2019s foreign minister, said Thursday there had been an \u201cattack\u201d on an Italian base in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil, but that there were no injuries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cI strongly condemn the attack on the Italian base in Erbil,\u201d Tajani said on X, without giving more details. \u201cI just spoke with the Italian ambassador to Iraq. Fortunately, all our soldiers are well and safe in the bunker.\u201d Italy\u2019s soldiers in Erbil are training Kurdistan\u2019s security forces as part of an international coalition force.<\/p>\n<p>Oil back above $100 as Iran steps up attacks <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Oil has risen back above $100 a barrel on Thursday as Iran increased attacks on oil and transport facilities across the Middle East, raising fears of a prolonged conflict and disruptions to oil supply.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Oman has moved all ships from the Port of Salalah, which lies outside the Strait of Hormuz, after the key hub was attacked by Iranian drones, while two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi oil were reportedly attacked by Iranian boats in Iraq\u2019s territorial waters, causing them to catch fire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Brent crude rose $8.54, or 9 per cent, to $100.52 a barrel. The price was already rising after the biggest release of oil reserves in 50 years by the International Energy Agency on Wednesday failed to calm fears about oil supplies, pushing the Brent crude price above $90 a barrel.<\/p>\n<p id=\"last-paragraph\" class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u2022 Read in full: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/df5944e9-e99c-4915-8241-756ed54ad79b?shareToken=0c42712912ca7d7041160d557ad9e70b\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Oil back above $100 as Iran steps up attacks on Gulf shipping<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The US will be escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior official has said. The&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16480,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[8615,3067,3756,8617,8616,34,361,1893,69,36],"class_list":{"0":"post-16479","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tehran","8":"tag-putins","9":"tag-attacks","10":"tag-behind","11":"tag-hand","12":"tag-hidden","13":"tag-iran","14":"tag-iranian","15":"tag-latest","16":"tag-tehran","17":"tag-war"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116217851602023437","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}