Trump considers Kharg Island takeover to force Iran to reopen Hormuz The Trump administration is reportedly considering risky plans to occupy or blockade Iran’s Kharg Island to pressure the country to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, sources told Axios on Friday. Meanwhile, global energy prices surge as disruptions to oil and gas supplies continue.
Iran warns UK that providing US access to British bases is ‘aggression’ The Iranian foreign ministry says it told the UK that allowing the US to use British military bases will be treated as “participation in aggression”. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his British counterpart Yvette Cooper during a phone call that UK assistance to the US would be an “escalation of the situation”. In a statement posted on his Telegram channel, Araghchi criticised the “negative and biased approach of the United Kingdom and some European countries towards this blatant aggression, which violated international law”.
IRGC says official killed in US-Israeli airstrike Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has released a statement to state media confirming the death of their spokesman, Ali Mohammad Naini, in a missile strike. The IRGC is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces which handles strategic and military operations. Naini has served as the official spokesperson for the IRGC since 2024 and was previously a professor of social sciences at Imam Hossein University.
Rebuilding Syria’s northeast: Damascus’ toughest test yet Submitted by Danny Makki on Wed, 03/18/2026 - 14:54 After 15 years of Kurdish self-rule, control shifts to government, with security, integration, economic challenges ahead Since the beginning of the year, the Syrian government has reclaimed major oil fields, factories and power plants from the SDF in northeast Syria (Danny Makki/MEE) Off A few weeks can be a long time in Syria , and nowhere has that been clearer than in the country’s turbulent northeast. More than a year after Bashar al-Assad fled and his brutal government collapsed, Syria’s northeast has entered a delicate new phase in which the old security order evaporated, essentially overnight, to be replaced by new state control, fragile understandings, and competing visions of what the post-Assad governance system should look like. Damascus has moved further and faster than many expected in reasserting itself across territory once held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), after a sweeping military push backed by tribal fighters forced a dramatic retreat.
Report: Iran developing vetting system for selective Hormuz transit access Iran is moving toward a “selective blockade” of the Strait of Hormuz, allowing passage for ships from certain countries while developing a vetting and registration system for transit, Lloyd’s List, a maritime news and analysis service, reported. Countries including India, Pakistan, Iraq, Malaysia and China are in talks with Tehran over access to the strategic waterway, the maritime publication said. The report said at least nine ships have already passed through a corridor near Iran’s Larak Island, with one tanker reportedly paying about $2 million for transit.
Khamenei urges officials to 'strip security from internal and external enemies' Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, on Friday called for continued efforts to maintain national security, local media reported. Khamenei also offered condolences following the killing of intelligence minister Hujjat al-Islam Seyyed Esmaeil Khatib, praising his service. In a message addressed to President Masoud Pezeshkian, Khamenei described the minister as a “hardworking” and long-serving official.
Israeli air strikes pound Lebanon towns as death toll surpasses 1,000 Israeli air strikes hit towns in southern Lebanon overnight, targeting multiple locations across the region, Lebanon’s state news agency reported. Strikes at dawn hit Bafliyeh and Hanine in the Tyre and Bint Jbeil districts, with separate attacks reported in at least five other towns. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the death toll from Israeli attacks since 2 March has risen to 1,001, including 79 women, 118 children and 40 healthcare workers, with more than 2,584 people wounded.
Gulf countries restrict outdoor Eid prayers amid regional war tensions Several Gulf countries, including Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, on Friday restricted Eid al-Fitr prayers to mosques, suspending large outdoor gatherings amid heightened tensions linked to the ongoing conflict. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said worshippers should avoid traditional open-air prayer grounds, where large crowds typically gather, "as a precautionary measure", as governments reassess public safety. Worshippers attend prayers for Eid al-Fitr at Sheikh Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani Shrine in Baghdad on 20 March 2026.
Israel targets Syria saying it will 'not tolerate harm toward Druze population' The Israeli military on Friday said that it struck infrastructure sites belonging to the Syrian government overnight in response to alleged attacks against Druze civilians in Sweida, Reuters news agency reported. The Israeli military said it targeted a "command centre and weapons in military compounds" in southern Syria, adding it will "not tolerate harm toward the Druze population".
Israel says missiles launched from Iran, air defences activated Launch of unnumbered missiles from Iran was detected, triggering air defence systems to “intercept the threat”, the Israeli military said on Friday. "Warning messages have been sent to members of the public via mobile phones," the military said. “Enter protected spaces upon receiving the alert and remain in them until a new announcement.
Cyberattack targets Mossad-linked official, documents allegedly leaked A group calling itself Hanzala cyber group claimed it had hacked the email account of a senior Israeli-linked official and obtained more than 100,000 confidential messages, Tasnim News reported. The group said it had accessed the account of Deborah Oppenheimer, described as a former deputy director of external relations at Mossad and current director of international affairs at an Israeli security institute. "We have obtained more than 100,000 sensitive emails from his account, which are now available for public download.
Kuwait battles refinery fire as Bahrain douses warehouse blaze Firefighters in Kuwait were dealing with a blaze at the Ahmadi refinery after one of its units was targeted, the Kuwaiti General Fire Force said. Authorities did not immediately provide details on the cause of the attack or whether there were any casualties. In Bahrain, the interior ministry said civil defence crews had extinguished a fire at a company warehouse caused by falling shrapnel from an Iranian attack, with no injuries reported.
Report: Qatar LNG attack reshapes global gas market An attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility has significantly altered the global gas market outlook, the consultancy Wood Mackenzie said, warning of prolonged disruption to supplies. The UK-based firm said the damage to the key facility, following an earlier production halt and force majeure declaration, could extend recovery timelines. “Before the attacks, Wood Mackenzie forecast four to six weeks to ramp up Qatari LNG production to full capacity… The timeline is now expected to extend depending on the extent of damage and required repairs,” the consultancy said.
Drone attack sparks fire at Kuwait Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, units shut A fire broke out at Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery after a drone attack, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said, adding that refinery units were shut down following the incident, AFP reported. "The Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery... was subjected early today to several hostile drone attacks, causing fires in some of its units," the official Kuwait News Agency said, adding that "several refinery units were shut down".
Trump defends Iran strike secrecy with Pearl Harbour remark US President Donald Trump joked about Japan’s World War II attack on Pearl Harbour when asked why he had not informed allies such as Japan ahead of strikes on Iran, saying surprise was necessary for military operations. He made the remarks during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office alongside Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi. “One thing, you don’t want to signal too much.
'For Gaza's journalists': Iranian drones display messages referencing Palestine Iranian state media reported that images and photos shared online show Iranian Shahed drones and missiles marked with slogans referencing Gaza and Palestinian figures, before being launched toward Israel as part of “Operation True Promise 4. ” The images shared by Press TV included phrases such as “For Gaza’s Journalists”, "for al ahli hospital", “Abu Obaida’s voice will not be silenced” and “Sinwar’s path continues”, according to the report. Image: PressTV.
Saudi officials warn oil could hit $180 amid disruptions Saudi officials believe oil prices could rise as high as $180 per barrel if disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz persist through the end of April, The Wall Street Journal reported. Prices have been volatile since the war began, with Brent crude briefly nearing $119 per barrel before retreating. Saudi Arabia has continued exports via its Red Sea port of Yanbu, though analysts warn such facilities could become targets.
Europe, Japan, Canada pledge efforts to reopen Hormuz Leading European nations, Japan and Canada said they were ready to support efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and to stabilise energy markets, Reuters reported. According to a joint statement issued on Thursday, the countries condemned what they described as Iran’s actions disrupting commercial shipping and escalating tensions in the Gulf. In the statement, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada said, “We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.
Turkey says Israel dragged region into 'unprecedented crisis' Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday said that Israel was the primary cause of the war, accusing it of threatening both regional and global stability. Speaking at a press conference in Doha alongside Qatar’s Prime Minister and foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Fidan said the conflict had pushed the region into an unprecedented crisis. “The primary cause of the war is Israel; it has threatened not only our region but global stability,” Fidan said, adding that the escalation had dragged the region “into an unprecedented crisis.
Marines, sailors deploy early as US reinforces Middle East The United States is accelerating the deployment of thousands of Marines and sailors to the Middle East to reinforce its forces amid the war with Iran, US media reported, citing officials. The move includes amphibious units deploying ahead of schedule as Washington increases its military presence in the region. Sailors and Marines have cut short their leave and completed training early to speed up deployment, according to the report.
