{"id":27634,"date":"2026-03-20T04:09:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T04:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/27634\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T04:09:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T04:09:14","slug":"the-latest-iran-retaliates-against-gulf-energy-sites-as-stocks-sink-worldwide-national-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/27634\/","title":{"rendered":"The Latest: Iran retaliates against Gulf energy sites as stocks sink worldwide | National News"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. would \u201c massively blow up the entirety<\/a> \u201d of Iran\u2019s gas field if it continues attacking its neighbors. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared later Thursday that Iran no longer can enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles. As he spoke, Israel’s military sent another alert about incoming Iranian missiles, and sirens sounded from Haifa to the Sea of Galilee.<\/p>\n

The price of Brent crude oil<\/a>, the international standard, spiked more than 60% since Israel and the United States started the war with Iran. Meanwhile, the death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon topped 1,000 people on Thursday amid renewed fighting<\/a> with the militant group Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

Trump and Netanyahu split on gas field attack, raise questions about whether they\u2019re in sync on war<\/p>\n

The aftermath of the strike left Trump and Netanyahu facing questions on whether they\u2019re entirely in sync in prosecuting the war that began as a closely coordinated joint attack on the longtime regional foe. The emergence of daylight \u2014 or at least the appearance of it \u2014 between the two leaders could shape the balance of the conflict and any eventual endgame.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a> about Trump, Netanyahu and the war<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s emergency service reports no casualties from latest missile launches from Iran<\/p>\n

But a person critically injured earlier in the day in an attack in the area of Kiryat Shmona<\/a> was medically evacuated, the Magen David Adom emergency medical service said.<\/p>\n

A direct hit damaged a building in the northern Israeli city, which is near Lebanon. It has been targeted repeatedly by both Iran and Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

EU leaders call for free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, safety for energy and water sites<\/p>\n

Leaders of the bloc\u2019s 27 nations called for a moratorium on strikes on energy and water infrastructure in the Middle East and for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz during a summit in Brussels.<\/p>\n

They also asked for Iran to stop striking neighbors across the Persian Gulf, sought international cooperation to prevent any large-scale refugee crisis in the Middle East and said some EU nations are exploring ways \u201cto ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n

European leaders have deflected entreaties from U.S. President Donald Trump to join the fight, but they have also fiercely criticized the Iranian government.<\/p>\n

UN Security Council holds urgent closed meeting on energy attacks in Iran war<\/p>\n

Bahrain\u2019s U.N. Ambassador Jamal Alrowaiei, the Arab representative on the U.N.\u2019s most powerful body, said his country requested the meeting because of the continuing \u201ccowardly attacks by Iran\u201d on Gulf countries, Jordan and other nations.<\/p>\n

He said afterward that Bahrain and many of the 15 council members stressed a need for Iran to implement a March 11 resolution demanding an immediate halt to attacks against Gulf countries and the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure including energy installations.<\/p>\n

He said the resolution, adopted by a vote of 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining, also calls for Iran to stop all actions and threats aimed at closing, obstructing or interfering with navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for shipment of 20% of the world\u2019s oil.<\/p>\n

Alrowaiei dodged a question about reports that Bahrain is seeking a resolution on freedom of navigation, including through the strait.<\/p>\n

Qatar Energy says damage from Iranian missile attack can take up to 5 years to fix<\/p>\n

Qatar, a key source of natural gas for world markets, gave more details late Thursday of the extensive damage caused by missiles hitting the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility.<\/p>\n

Qatar Energy said on the social platform X that the attacks reduced LNG exports by about 17% and will cost about $20 billion per year in lost revenue.<\/p>\n

The damage will take up to five years to repair, even though production at the facility had already been halted after earlier attacks.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military says Iran launched another missile attack just before midnight<\/p>\n

Sirens sounded in a large swath of central Israel, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea. Loud explosions were heard in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

It was the 13th such alert in a day, making it one of the most active for missile launches from Iran toward Israel in the war.<\/p>\n

The targeting of key Gulf energy infrastructure raises the risk of long-term disruption<\/p>\n

Escalating attacks on key oil and gas facilities<\/a> in the Persian Gulf have increased the risk of an extended bout of higher prices for everything from gasoline and electricity to computer chips and food.<\/p>\n

Even if the Strait of Hormuz becomes safe for tankers to transit soon, it will be some time before oil and gas begin flowing again due to the complexity of restarting refineries and other facilities. If energy infrastructure has been damaged by the ongoing attacks, it will take even longer.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just oil and gas: Key raw materials \u2014 like helium used in making computer chips and sulfur, a raw material in fertilizer \u2014 have been obstructed and could soon be in short supply, raising prices of goods all the way along the supply chain.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a> about the targeted refineries, terminals and other infrastructure<\/p>\n

France will double humanitarian aid for Lebanon to 17 million euros<\/p>\n

During a visit to Beirut, French Foreign Minister Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot said on X that his country would increase its humanitarian aid to Lebanon to nearly $20 million.<\/p>\n

Israeli strikes against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon have displaced more than 1 million people \u2014 roughly 20% of the population \u2014 and killed more than 1,000 people, according to the Lebanese government. Many families are sleeping in cars, on the streets or in overcrowded schools turned into shelters.<\/p>\n

Attempts by Lebanese officials to enter into direct negotiations<\/a> with Israel to halt the fighting have been unsuccessful. Neither Hezbollah nor Israel appears to have any immediate desire to stop the war.<\/p>\n

Energy expert says lifting Iranian oil sanctions would benefit Iran<\/p>\n

And lifting those sanctions wouldn\u2019t benefit many other players, said Daniel Sternoff, senior fellow at the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy.<\/p>\n

Earlier Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. may un-sanction about 140 million barrels of Iranian oil that\u2019s already currently at sea.<\/p>\n

Normally, the only buyers of Iranian oil are private refiners in China, who purchase it at a steep discount, Sternoff said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to have others who are now not able to get other Middle Eastern grades scramble to buy them,\u201d Sternoff said. \u201cIt will reduce the Iranian discount, or raise the prices of Iranian crude, to the benefit of Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n

That the U.S. is considering lifting sanctions on Iranian oil shows how serious the supply situation has become, said Kevin Book, managing director at Clearview Energy Partners.<\/p>\n

Brent crude briefly tops $119 per barrel before receding, shaking markets worldwide<\/p>\n

A roller-coaster day for oil prices has showed how they\u2019re dictating where financial markets and maybe even the global economy are heading. Stocks tumbled in Europe and Asia when oil prices shot higher early Thursday, but U.S. stocks pared sharp losses as the day progressed and oil prices fell back.<\/p>\n

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq composite finished Thursday\u2019s trading with minor dips, recovering from early losses.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military says it\u2019s working to intercept a missile launch from Iran<\/p>\n

The late-evening attack was the 12th salvo Iran fired at Israel on Thursday, making this one of most active days for launches since the war started.<\/p>\n

Sirens sounded in Jerusalem and nearby areas, including in the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n

FIFA wants Iran to keep its US World Cup schedule and won\u2019t act on Palestinian complaint about Israel<\/p>\n

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said after the body\u2019s ruling council met Thursday that it will not grant Iranian requests<\/a> to move the team\u2019s three World Cup group games in June from the United States to Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a schedule,\u201d Infantino said. \u201cWe want the FIFA World Cup to go ahead as scheduled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iranian officials say they don\u2019t want to boycott the World Cup<\/a>, but insist it\u2019s not possible for the national team to play in the United States after America and Israel launched a war on their country.<\/p>\n

Soccer\u2019s governing body meanwhile took no action on its Palestinian member federation\u2019s complaints that Israel violates FIFA statutes<\/a> by letting teams from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank play in its national league. FIFA did, however, fine the Israel Football Association 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,000) on disciplinary charges relating to \u201cdiscrimination and racist abuse,\u201d plus \u201coffensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play.\u201d<\/p>\n

State Department cut staff with deep expertise in Middle East<\/p>\n

Former officials say Trump administration staff cuts have left key leadership jobs vacant, so the bureau now relies on a small circle of aides along with task forces and volunteers.<\/p>\n

The former officials describe an understaffed and demoralized workforce in turmoil, which they link to mixed public messaging, weak planning and trouble helping Americans trapped in conflict zones.<\/p>\n

The State Department is vigorously disputing this Associated Press report.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu says he didn\u2019t deceive Trump about war with Iran<\/p>\n

\u201cI misled no one,\u201d Israel\u2019s prime minister said in a news conference Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I didn\u2019t have to convince President Trump about the need to prevent Iran from developing its nuclear program,\u201d he continued, \u201cputting it underground and being able to launch nuclear-tipped missiles at the United States. He understood that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regarding the war\u2019s toll on U.S. troops, he sent his condolences on behalf of Israel, saying, \u201cThe cost to bereaved families is enormous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netanyahu also waved off rising fuel prices as a \u201cspike\u201d that will come down and said he expects the U.S. will reopen the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu says Israel will hold off on any further attacks on Iran\u2019s giant natural gas field at Trump\u2019s request<\/p>\n

In a televised address, Netanyahu also said that \u201cIran\u2019s air defenses have been rendered useless, their navy is lying at the bottom of the sea … their air force is nearly destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Israeli leader said he hopes the Iranian people will rise up against the Islamic Republic that has ruled for nearly half a century, but he conceded \u201cit\u2019s too early\u201d to say whether that will happen. There\u2019s been no sign of such an uprising since the war began in Iran, where authorities crushed mass protests in January<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Iraqi security tracks dozens of attacks on US facility next to Baghdad airport<\/p>\n

A former U.S. base adjacent to Baghdad\u2019s airport that still provides logistical support to American operations has been attacked at least 65 times since the beginning of the war, according to an Iraqi security report obtained by The Associated Press.<\/p>\n

The vast majority of the attacks between March 2 and 18 involved drones \u2014 sometimes several fired at once \u2014 a total of 73. The report said between 17 and 22 shells and missiles were fired at the facility. Iran-backed Iraqi militias have claimed some of the attacks.<\/p>\n

Most of the launches have been intercepted, but on Wednesday, a rocket attack wounded four airport security personnel and staff. Multiple attacks have also targeted the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. consulate in the northern city of Irbil.<\/p>\n

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the Iraqi report figure is \u201cin the ballpark\u201d of what the U.S. has been tracking in terms of rocket, drone or other attack attempts on the airport.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Matthew Lee<\/p>\n

Netanyahu denies that Israel pressured the United States into going to war<\/p>\n

The Israeli leader dedicated a substantial chunk of his news conference to denying that his government pushed the United States into war.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis canard that we dragged the United States into this is not just a canard, it\u2019s ridiculous,\u201d he said, reciting a checklist of Iranian attacks and threats against America over the decades. He said Trump had told him more than a year ago: \u201cBibi, we\u2019ve got to make sure that Iran doesn\u2019t have nuclear weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world owes a debt of deep indebtedness, deep indebtedness to President Trump for leading this effort to safeguard our future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu says Iran no longer can enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles<\/p>\n

Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, Iran\u2019s top leaders have been killed<\/a> in airstrikes and the country\u2019s military capabilities have been severely degraded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Thursday that Iran no longer has the ability to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n

Israel says Hezbollah has fired roughly 700 rockets, missiles and drones<\/p>\n

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani accused Lebanon\u2019s government of failing to clear the militant group from the country\u2019s south as required by a 2024 ceasefire.<\/p>\n

Hezbollah began firing toward Israel in the opening days of the current war, renewing fighting that had been muffled since the ceasefire. Shoshani said Israel had \u201cno choice but to operate against the threat Hezbollah poses to our civilians.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Iran-backed group\u2019s strikes have not caused any fatalities but have wounded Israelis and damaged buildings in the country\u2019s north. Israel has responded with airstrikes and expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon, displacing more than 1 million people and killing more than 1,300, according to Lebanese authorities.<\/p>\n

Will Trump deploy US troops to seize Iran\u2019s uranium?<\/p>\n

Much of Iran\u2019s near-bomb-grade nuclear material is believed to be buried under the rubble of a mountain facility pummeled in U.S. bombings<\/a> Trump ordered last June.<\/p>\n

Seizing or destroying it would be risky and complicated, and many nuclear experts say it can\u2019t be done without a sizable, dangerous and politically fraught troop deployment by the Republican leader who has vowed not to entangle the U.S.<\/a> in another extended and bloody Middle East conflict.<\/p>\n

Iran war puts risks of Trump\u2019s oil focus on display<\/p>\n

When Trump returned to office last year, he launched a crusade in pursuit of what he calls American energy dominance.<\/p>\n

Now, as crude oil prices rise above $100 a barrel and gasoline prices surge toward $4 a gallon, experts say Trump\u2019s strategy of blocking clean energy such as wind and solar power has made the U.S. more vulnerable to supply shocks caused by the war. The Strait of Hormuz, a key access point for the global oil market, is effectively blocked.<\/p>\n

Trump said Thursday he knew oil prices would go up and \u201cthe economy will go down a little bit\u201d as a result of the war.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it would be worse \u2014 much worse, actually,\u2019\u2032 he said.<\/p>\n

F-35 jet is forced to make an emergency landing, US military says<\/p>\n

The jet landed safely and the pilot was in \u201cstable\u201d condition, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the command that oversees the Middle East.<\/p>\n

CNN first reported on the incident and said the jet was believed to be hit by Iranian fire. Iran\u2019s state TV, quoting a Revolutionary Guard statement, said its air defense system badly damaged an F-35. Hawkins wouldn\u2019t comment on the report and said the incident was under investigation.<\/p>\n

The stubby-nosed aircraft with stealth coatings costs up to $77 million a piece in 2023, according to the Congressional Research Service.<\/p>\n

UN agency wants a humanitarian corridor to evacuate ships trapped by the Iran war<\/p>\n

The International Maritime Organization said it would work on a \u201csafe maritime corridor\u201d for the 3,000 vessels and 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf while the war effectively closes the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

The agency also urged countries to provide those crews with food, water and fuel. However, its resolutions are non-binding.<\/p>\n

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said naval escorts for shipping<\/a> would not be fully safe or sustainable, and stressed that only an end to fighting will solve the issue.<\/p>\n

US approves $23 billion in arms sales to Arab allies as Iran war escalates<\/p>\n

In notices sent to Congress on Thursday, the State Department said the U.S. would sell:<\/p>\n

1. To the United Arab Emirates, more than $8 billion in air defense systems and related materiel, including drones, air-to-air missiles and F-16 fighter jet munitions.<\/p>\n

2. To Kuwait, $8 billion in missile defense and radar systems.<\/p>\n

3. To Jordan, $70.5 million of aircraft and munitions support.<\/p>\n

Another $6 billion in sales to the three countries was approved but did not require congressional notification because they involved adjustments to previously approved packages or purely commercial sales, a State Department official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the details of those sales are not public.<\/p>\n

Trump invokes Pearl Harbor in talking about launching the Iran war<\/p>\n

The U.S. president was pressed by reporters in the Oval Office to explain why he did not coordinate or inform allies, such as Japan, before launching the war.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise,\u201d said Trump, who then said, turning to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: \u201cWho knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn\u2019t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK? Right?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese bombing of the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii killed more than 2,300 Americans. The U.S. declared war against Japan the next day.<\/p>\n

Trump says he urged Netanyahu \u2018don\u2019t do that\u2019 amid fallout from Israeli attack on gas field<\/p>\n

Asked if he\u2019d spoken to the Israeli prime minister about the attack, Trump said, \u201cYeah, I did, I did. I told him, \u2018Don\u2019t do that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump continued, \u201cAnd he won\u2019t do that.\u201d But he added, \u201cWe\u2019ve \u2014 we\u2019re independent. We get along great. It\u2019s coordinated. But, on occasion, he\u2019ll do something. And if I don\u2019t like it. And so we\u2019re not doing that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump appeared to be suggesting that he\u2019d spoken to Netanyahu only after the attack on Iran\u2019s South Pars natural gas field. A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press<\/a> that the United States was informed about Israel\u2019s plans to strike, but did not take part.<\/p>\n

Trump tries to justify $200 billion Iran war ask<\/p>\n

The Pentagon is signaling that it needs an additional $200 billion for the war with Iran, but the president said Thursday that his administration also needs it for other reasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very volatile world,\u201d Trump said from the Oval Office. He said the emergency spending, which would need congressional approval, would be a \u201cvery small price to pay\u201d to ensure the nation\u2019s military stays in top shape.<\/p>\n

Trump says he\u2019s \u2018not putting troops anywhere\u2019<\/p>\n

Asked about the possibility of deploying U.S. ground troops to Iran, Trump responded, \u201cNo. I\u2019m not putting troops anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then said he could deploy military forces wherever he wants, and wouldn’t tell reporters about his plans.<\/p>\n

Trump added, however: \u201cI\u2019m not putting troops.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qatari prime minister calls for a halt to Iranian attacks on his country<\/p>\n

Qatar is open to diplomacy and maintaining good ties with Iran, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who serves as both prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.<\/p>\n

But he condemned Iran\u2019s attacks on the Ras Laffan energy complex in Qatar as an \u201cact of sabotage\u201d that demonstrates Tehran\u2019s \u201cpolicy of aggression\u201d and \u201cdangerous escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n

He rejected Iran\u2019s claim that it was only targeting U.S. interests and bases, saying the strike on the gas facility hit a vital source of the Qatari people\u2019s livelihood.<\/p>\n

He said Israel chose to start this war against Iran, and in return Iran chose to retaliate with hostility toward its neighbors.<\/p>\n

Sen. Bernie Sanders files resolution to block $600 million in arms sales to Israel<\/p>\n

The resolution has virtually no chance of becoming law, but allows Sanders to force a vote that will put senators on record over whether they support Trump\u2019s decision to sell bombs to Israel during the war with Iran.<\/p>\n

The independent senator from Vermont has been an ardent critic<\/a> of Israel\u2019s actions in the region. \u201cNo more weapons to support an illegal war,\u201d his statement said Thursday.<\/p>\n

So far, Democrats have been mostly united in their opposition to U.S. involvement in the war, but the votes on the arms sales may divide the Democratic Caucus. Similar efforts to block arms sales during Israel\u2019s war in Gaza split Democrats, yet also demonstrated the growing resistance within the party to Israel\u2019s military operations.<\/p>\n

UN chief calls for peace and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n

Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres called for \u201cdiplomacy to prevail over war\u201d and said fallout from the conflicts in the Middle East has spread globally.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz causes enormous pain in so many peoples around the world that have nothing to do with this conflict,\u201d he said during a meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels on Thursday.<\/p>\n

He called on Israel and the United States to cease their military campaign and for Iran to open the key oil route and halt attacks on neighboring states, which he said \u201cwere never parties to the conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. would \u201c massively blow up the entirety \u201d of Iran\u2019s gas…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27635,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[328,777,197,12586,196,39,81,463,782,771,1102,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-27634","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-persian-gulf","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-energy-industry","10":"tag-general-news","11":"tag-iran-israel-us-latest-march-19-2026","12":"tag-iran-war","13":"tag-persian-gulf","14":"tag-politics","15":"tag-religion","16":"tag-u-s-news","17":"tag-washington-news","18":"tag-wire","19":"tag-world-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116259544272627205","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27634","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=27634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}