Sunday March 15th: Ten things that happened today
- US president Donald Trump calls on other countries to send warships to Strait of Hormuz
- Trump has said the US will strike Iran “very hard over the next week”
- Pope Leo has called for an immediate ceasefire as the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its third week
- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) says its peacekeepers have been fired upon
- Israel launches ‘extensive strikes’ on Iran, detects return fire missiles
- Iran claims it never asked for a ceasefire
- Iran’s foreign minister says his country will respond to any attack on Iranian energy facilities by targeting US companies in the region
- Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold direct talks in the coming days
- IDF completes wave of strikes, vows to ‘expand the scope’ of attacks
- Formula One cancels Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
Key Reads
- How Micheál Martin should handle Trump for St Patrick’s Day: ‘Lie back and think of Ireland’
- US caught off guard by scale of Iranian retaliation across Gulf
- Opinion: The majority of Americans oppose the Iran war. So why aren’t they protesting?
This concludes our live updates from the war in the Middle East this evening. We’ll be back tomorrow with more coverage.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it has released $2 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) to support the health response in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.
$1 million USD has been allocated to Lebanon to strengthen the WHO’s emergency coordination through the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, scale up trauma care, reinforce disease surveillance, and procure and distribute essential medicines and medical supplies, the agency said in a statement.
Senator Mark Warner says attack on Iranian girls school was “clearly” an American airstrike, in comments on CBS
Virginia senator Mark Warner has addressed the strike on an Iranian girls school that took a direct hit on the first day of the Iran war, killing an estimated 200, including many young students.
Warner said lawmakers have only received “preliminary assessments” on the airstrike but that “clearly, it was an American airstrike”.
Warner, a Democrat who serves as vice chairman of the select committee on intelligence, told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that he was “a little disappointed that the president tried to deny that at first, or say it was even the Iranians.”
A Reuters investigation found that the elementary school in Minab, Iran, had a yearslong online presence, including dozens of photos of the children and their activities, before it was bombed along with at least six other buildings in an adjacent military compound.
The news agency first reported investigators at the Defense Department believe US forces were likely responsible for the bombing, and new indications emerged that the US may have relied upon outdated targeting data that apparently did not distinguish between the school and the adjoining Iranian military base in Minab, a town in southern Iran.
In his comments on Sunday, Warner maintained that he supports a 2025 Annual Threat Assessment by US intelligence leaders who testified that Iran had not reauthorized their nuclear weapons program - a key Trump administration justification for the US-Israel strikes.
“There was no imminent threat to the United States, and I don’t believe there was even an imminent threat to Israel from Iran,” Warner said.
Israel and Lebanon to hold talks regarding a ceasefire
Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold talks in the coming days aimed at securing a durable ceasefire that will see Hezbollah disarmed, to two Israeli officials said on Sunday, Reuters reports.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump discussed “the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to end the disruption to global shipping, which is driving up costs worldwide”, in a call on Sunday, Downing Street said.
Pope Leo calls for an immediate ceasefire
Pope Leo has called for an immediate ceasefire as the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its third week.
“For two weeks, the peoples of the Middle East have been suffering the atrocious violence of war,” the pope said at his weekly Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.
“In the name of Christians in the Middle East and of all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: Cease fire!” Pope Leo said.
Leo added that the situation in Lebanon was also a cause of “great concern”.
“I hope for paths of dialogue that can support the country’s authorities in implementing lasting solutions to the serious crisis currently underway, for the common good of all the Lebanese people,” he said.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) says its peacekeepers have been fired upon
UNIFIL said on Sunday that it’s peacekeepers in Lebanon were fired upon, likely by non-state armed groups, on three separate occasions while conducting patrols around their bases in Yatar, Dayr Kifa and Qallawiyah.
“The fire in Yatar hit as close as five metres from the peacekeepers. The sources of fire in the two other incidents were about 100 and 200 metres away, respectively,” a statement from UNIFIL said.
“Two patrols returned fire in self-defence and after brief exchanges, the patrols resumed their planned activities. No peacekeeper was injured,” the statement continued.
“It is unacceptable that peacekeepers performing Security Council-mandated tasks be targeted. We strongly remind all actors of their obligations under international law to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel at all times, and to take all necessary measures to prevent harm to civilians,” UNIFIL said.
Any attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers constitutes “a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Resolution 1701 and may amount to a war crime”.
US Central Command (Centcom) has denied claims by Iran’s foreign minister that the US is using one-way attack drones to attack Gulf countries and shifting the blame to Iran are a “lie”.
In a statement posted on X, Centcom claimed Iranian forces had “launched thousands of drones AND missiles at its neighbours, indiscriminately targeting civilian hotels, commercial airports, residential communities and economic infrastructure”.
“US attack drones are only targeting Iranian military capabilities to eliminate threats posed to the region,” the statement said.
Centcom maintains that its operations are strictly precise and defensive, but Iranian humanitarian and state sources provide a different assessment of civilian infrastructure damage. The Iranian Red Crescent has reported upwards of 19,000 residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed.
Italy’s military reports drone attack in Kuwait on an airbase hosting Italian and US forces
Italy’s military said on Sunday there had been a drone attack on the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait hosting Italian and US forces, but said all its personnel were safe.
“This morning, Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait was the target of a drone attack that hit a shelter housing a remotely piloted aircraft of the Italian Task Force Air (TFA), which was destroyed,” chief of the Defence General Staff, Luciano Portolano, said in a statement, posted by Italy’s Ministry of Defence, on X.
The Italian contingent of Task Force Air had been scaled back in recent days “as part of measures adopted in response to the evolving security situation in the area,” the statement added.
Reporter Sally Hayden went to the site of the bombing of the healthcare centre in Burj Qalaouiyah, south Lebanon, in which 12 healthcare workers were killed on Friday evening, where she took the following photos, with reporting to follow.
Three arrests made in London during Al Quds Day demonstration and counter-protest
Three people have been arrested in London during an Al Quds Day demonstration, UK police said.
The demonstration and a counter protest were located on either side of the Thames River in London.
All protests and counter-protests had to take place between Vauxhall and Lambeth bridges, and were permitted between 1pm and 3pm.
In a post on social media, the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers have made three arrests, one for showing support for a proscribed organisation, one for dangerous driving and a third for threatening and abusive behaviour.”
The force added: “We are aware of chanting made by a speaker at the Al Quds protest and will be investigating.
“We recognise the concern footage and chanting like this causes, particularly with London’s Jewish communities.
“When this language had been used previously we sought advice from the CPS who determined that there would be insufficient evidence to take a case forward.”
IEA Oil from ‘record release’ to start flowing to hard-hit Asia
Oil from the International Energy Agency (IEA) emergency reserves will begin flowing to global markets soon, with member countries pledging to make available 411.9 million barrels, the agency said in a statement on Sunday.
The agency released a statement after it said it received implementation plans from member states. Barrels for Europe and the Americas will only be made available from the end of March.
Oil futures closed above $100 a barrel on Friday and traders are bracing for a tumultuous upcoming week after the US attacked military sites near Iran’s main oil exporting facility over the weekend.
Buyers in Asia are most reliant on flows from the Middle East, so the speed of reserve releases is particularly key for the region. - Agencies
Opinion: The US’ war on Iran is unpopular domestically so why haven’t there been protests?
“The majority of the US public sees another needless war being conducted on behalf of an increasingly out-of-control ally,” writes Jack Sheehan.
So why has there been no corresponding large-scale street mobilisation against the war?
Read the full article here:
[ The majority of Americans oppose the Iran war. So why aren’t they protesting?Opens in new window ]
Iran claims it never asked for a ceasefire
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran had “never asked for a ceasefire, we have never asked even for negotiation”, after Donald Trump claimed Iran wanted to make a deal.
“We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us, and that was for the second time,” Araghchi said in an interview with CBS News’ Face the Nation programme.
“This is a war of choice by President Trump and the United States, and we are going to continue our self-defence,” he added. - Guardian
IDF completes wave of strikes, vows to ‘expand the scope’ of attacks
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has “completed a wave of attacks” against Iran, it said in a statement, noting it had targeted “several central headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards”.
Following the strikes, the IDF said it is “currently expanding the scope of attacks against the Iranian terrorist regime’s infrastructure in additional areas in western and central Iran”.
This expansion of targets is hoping to “systematically damag[e] the regime’s command and control capabilities”.
“The completed attacks are part of a phase of deepening the damage to the core structures of the Iranian terrorist regime and its foundations,” the Israeli force said.
Taoiseach says ‘absolutely false’ statements linking Shannon Airport with attacks in Gaza ‘will damage’ airport
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said statements linking Shannon Airport with Israel’s military offensive in Gaza could “damage” the Co Clare airport.
He said Shannon Airport was not being used to bomb Gaza, adding there had been “repeated attempts to conflate Shannon with the war in Gaza, which was absolutely false”.
He said there was also no evidence that Irish airspace was being used to transport munitions to be used against Iran.
“This is a continuing narrative from certain quarters politically within Ireland, which I think will damage Shannon if that kind of argument continues,” he said, speaking in Philadelphia during his St Patrick’s Day visit to the United States.
“But again, we don’t have any strong evidence that our airspace has been used for any attacks on Iran.” - Additional reporting, PA
Message from the Editor
Iraq says Kurdish authorities refusing to let it send oil through their pipeline
Iraq’s oil ministry said the Kurdistan Regional Government had refused to let it use a pipeline as an alternative route for crude flows disrupted by the Iran conflict, accusing authorities there of putting up irrelevant conditions.
A senior Kurdish government official said authorities there would be happy for the Iraqi government to use the pipeline, but said Baghdad first needed to lift what he called a “dollar embargo” on the region.
“We want a deal. We want to help Iraq and bring relief to the markets, but this embargo must end first,” the official said.
Oil production from Iraq’s main southern oilfields, where most of its crude is produced and exported, has plunged 70% to just 1.3 million bpd, sources told Reuters on March 8th, as the Iran conflict effectively shut off the vital Strait of Hormuz. - Reuters
US Central Command has labelled as a “LIE” claims that it is using drones to attack allied Gulf countries in the hopes of pinning the blame on Iran.
🚫The Iranian regime’s foreign minister claims that the United States is using one-way attack drones to attack Gulf countries and shifting the blame to Iran. LIE.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 15, 2026
✅Iranian forces have launched thousands of drones AND missiles at its neighbors, indiscriminately targeting… pic.twitter.com/kr7slhdtEO
The Lebanese Health Ministry said on Sunday that the death toll from Israeli attacks has risen to 850 people since the start of the recent conflict in the Middle East.
This number of people killed by Israeli strikes cover the period since March 2nd, the ministry said, when Israel launched a campaign in Lebanon.
An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Friday night killed 12 healthcare workers, The Guardian reported. The strike hit a primary healthcare facility in the town of Burj Qalaouiyah and means that 31 medical staff have been killed since the escalation of conflict.
US energy secretary says Iran war expected to end within ‘next few weeks’
The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, said he expects the war with Iran to end within “the next few weeks”.
In an interview with ABC’s This Week show, Wright said: “I think that this conflict will certainly come to the end in the next few weeks – could be sooner than that. But the conflict will come to the end in the next few weeks, and we’ll see a rebound in (energy) supplies and a pushing down in prices after that”.
The message comes just after Donald Trump warned he is not ready to seek a deal to end the war, saying that though he thought Tehran was keen to negotiate a ceasefire, the US would fight on for better terms.
Wright’s comments come as crude oil prices surge and the US public face higher gas prices due to the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz.
The Trump administration has been accused of launching a reckless and ill-thought out war as it failed to properly plan for the likely closure of the strait as an Iranian response to the US-Israeli strikes - Guardian.
UAE intercepts more Iranian ballistic missiles
The UAE’s ministry of defence says it has intercepted several ballistic missiles and drones launched from Iran.
“UAE air defenses intercept 4 ballistic missiles and 6 drones,” it said in a statement shared on social media. It is understood the attacks came during the early hours of Sunday morning.
“Since the start of the blatant Iranian attacks, UAE air defences have engaged 298 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles,” it added.
The UAE said these attacks have killed 6 people and have injured a further 142 people. In a separate graphic posted to the platform, the ministry suggested it had intercepted more than 1,600 drones.
UAE air defences engage 4 ballistic missiles, 6 UAVs
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 15, 2026
UAE air defence systems engaged 4 ballistic missiles and 6 UAVs on 15th March 2026 coming from Iran.
Since the start of the blatant Iranian attacks, UAE air defences have engaged 298 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles… pic.twitter.com/V67Jiq5ptH
‘Finalissima’ football match set to take place in Qatar cancelled
A match between Spain and Argentina set to be held in Qatar at the end of March has been cancelled, Uefa said in a statement on Sunday.
The ‘Finalissima’, a match between the European and South American continental champions, was to be played on March 27th at the Lusail Stadium in Doha - the capital of Qatar.
Uefa said they held discussions with the organising authorities in Qatar and concluded that the match could not take place due to the “current political situation” in the region.
“It is a source of great disappointment to Uefa and the organisers that circumstances and timing have denied the teams of the chance to compete for this prestigious prize in Qatar,” Uefa said in a statement.
“Uefa explored other feasible alternatives but each ultimately proved unacceptable to the Argentinian Football Association.”
Israel launches ‘extensive strikes’ on Iran, detects return fire missiles
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a wave of “extensive strikes” across western Iran, it said in a post on X.
It claimed to be is striking “infrastructure” of the Iranian regime, though strikes on Iran by Israel have killed many civilians over the last two weeks.
After the launches, it detected return fire of missiles from Iran towards its territory, the IDF said.
People living in areas of Israel expected to be under threat from the launches were given forward notice to evacuate or find shelter, the IDF continued, noting that defense systems were working to intercept the threat.
Iran arrests dozens of people accused of being informants for Israel
Dozens of people accused of sharing sensitive information with Israel have been arrested in several areas of Iran, local media reported on Sunday.
In northwestern Iran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday that 20 people were arrested on accusations by the provincial prosecutor’s office of sending location details on Iran’s military and security assets to Israel.
In northeastern Iran, which has remained relatively untouched by air strikes, Tasnim reported the arrest of 10 people on Sunday, with some accused of collecting information on sensitive locations and economic infrastructure.
“As the Zionist enemy (Israel) and the US are attempting to invade Iran, they simultaneously activate mercenaries and spies to carry out riots as the next step,” a provincial branch of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence organisation said, according to Tasnim. - Reuters
Pope Leo calls for ceasefire in the Middle East
Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, amid the “atrocious violence” of the war in Iran, during an address in the Vatican.
“For two weeks, the peoples of the Middle East have been suffering the atrocious violence of war,” the pope said at his weekly Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square.
“In the name of Christians in the Middle East and of all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: cease fire,” Pope Leo said.
“Thousands of innocent people have been killed, and many more have been forced to leave their homes. I renew my closeness to all those who have lost their loved ones in the attacks,” he said.
“I hope for paths of dialogue that can support the country’s authorities in implementing lasting solutions to the serious crisis currently under way, for the common good of all the Lebanese people,” the pope said.
Israel dismisses suggestions it is running low on interceptors
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar has dismissed reports that Israel told the US it is running “critically low” on missile interceptors.
“The answer is no,” Saar said during a visit to a site in northern Israel damaged by an Iranian missile attack, the BBC is reporting.
He also denied reports that Israel could soon hold direct peace talks with Lebanon, claims which were reported over the weekend by Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
He adds that Israel sees “eye-to-eye” with the US and that their objective is to “remove the existential threats from Iran for the long term”.
How should the Taoiseach approach the ‘tightrope’ St Patrick’s Day visit?
Action Aid’s call on the Taoiseach underscores a challenging test facing Martin during his visit to the Oval Office on Tuesday, St Patrick’s Day. How can the Martin please the Irish electorate but not provoke his US counterparts?
The Irish Times asked 15 prominent Irish people their opinions on the matter, including writers, historians, diplomats, charity workers and politicians.
Among the 15 voices, former Irish ambassador to the US, France, the UN and the EU, Anne Anderson suggested Martin “Think medium to long term; think European as well as Irish.”
“In the short term, it may seem enough to get in and out unscathed. With a bit of distance, what will matter is that the integrity and values of Irish foreign policy are not compromised.”
Tell Trump to respect international law, charity urges Taoiseach
Irish charity ActionAid has called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to urge Trump to respect and adhere to international law.
ActionAid Ireland chief executive Karol Balfe said Martin should “use all engagements to call for respect and adherence to international law; particularly in light of the rising civilian toll of the attacks on Iran and Lebanon”.
In a letter to An Taoiseach, Balfe said the annual diplomatic visit to is taking place at a moment of “profound global instability” and amid a “growing disregard for international law”.
The escalation of conflicts is having devastating effects, particularly on women and children, she said.
“Many Iranians, particularly women, suffered gravely at the hands of this regime. Many yearned for new leadership, reform, greater democracy and freedom for women. But despite that, this attack by the US and Israel is clearly one of aggression, an illegal assault that casts aside with total abandon the fundamentals of international law.”
Russia supplying Iran with attack drones, Zelenskiy says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of supplying Iran with Shahed attack drones to use against the US and Israel.
It is “100 per cent facts” that Iran has used Russian-made Shaheds to attack US bases, Zelenskiy told CNN in an interview.
Shahed drones have been linked to other attacks on countries in the region, although their manufacturers are not always clear.
Iran pioneered the Shahed drone, a much cheaper alternative to expensive missiles. They first saw mass use in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where thousands of them have been launched by Russian forces since fall 2022, according to the Ukrainians.
Although Iran initially provided the drones, Russia now manufactures its own Shaheds. The armed forces of other countries have since adopted Shahed-type drones, including the U.S. military, which has said they are part of the current campaign against Iran. – Reuters
Explainer: What is Kharg Island and why does it matter?
Kharg Island is the hub for 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports and has long been seen as a key vulnerability that would provoke a severe response by Tehran if attacked.
Iran, which ramped up oil output in the run-up to the February 28th launch of the war by Israel and the US, has continued to ship oil at a rate of 1.1 million to 1.5 million barrels per day, TankerTracker.com and Kpler data show.
Kharg sits 26km from Iran’s coast, more than 480km northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, in waters deep enough to enable the docking of tankers that are too large to approach the mainland’s shallow coastal waters.
Kharg has storage capacity of roughly 30 million barrels, and held about 18 million barrels of crude as of early March, according data from Kpler.
The last time the island came under significant fire was during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. The Iraqi military, under Saddam Hussein, conducted heavy bombing raids on the island’s oil infrastructure at the time, causing extensive damage. But Iran was able to rebuild the facilities. – Agencies
Occupation of Iran’s Kharg Island would be ‘bigger mistake than attacking it’, says Iran
Any occupation of Kharg Island would be a ‘bigger mistake than attacking it’, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said in further comments following an interview on Sunday.
The comments come after Trump alleged US strikes had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island, and told the network that its military may hit the site “a few more times just for fun”.
Big US troop movements towards the region have sparked speculation that Kharg Island might be an occupation target.
In the statement on Telegram following the interview, Araghchi said that were Iran’s energy facilities be targeted they would target the facilities of American companies in the region.
Refrain from escalating Middle East conflict, Iran tells France
Iran’s foreign minister told his French counterpart that countries must refrain from any action that could escalate the conflict in the Middle East, Abbas Araqchi said in further comments following an interview on Sunday.
This comes after US president Donald Trump called upon various states, including France, to deploy vessels to help secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran following US-Israeli strikes on its territory.
About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait, a narrow passage of water between Iran and Oman. - Reuters
What we know about Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader
Iran issued its first message in the name of its new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Thursday, saying it would keep the strait of Hormuz closed and continue to attack US bases in the region.
He has yet to make a public appearance, but what do we know of Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
Read a profile of Mojtaba Khamenei by Patrick Wintour here:
Iranian supreme leader ‘in good health’ says foreign minister
Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “in good health and is fully managing the situation” according to the state’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
In a statement on Telegram following a phone interview to a news station, Araghchi countered claims by US president Donald Trump that the new leader of Iran had been killed.
Trump said on Saturday; “I’m hearing he [Khamenei] is not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender.”
More to follow from the interview ...
UK considering sending minesweepers to the Strait of Hormuz
The UK is “intensively” looking at what it can do to help reopen a key oil shipping route in the Middle East, which has been blocked by Iran and has led to energy price spikes, Ed Miliband said.
The UK energy secretary was asked on Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips whether Britain was looking at sending minesweepers or minehunting drones to the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are talking to our allies,” he said. “There’s different ways in which we can make maritime shipping possible. We are intensively looking with our allies at what can be done, because it’s so important that we get the strait reopened.”
Miliband had earlier said there are “a range of things that we can do, including autonomous minehunting equipment”, but refused to speculate on how far along these proposals were.
He also refused to be drawn into suggestions that Britain did not have a large enough military to meet all its commitments, as well as respond to the crisis.
He told Sky News: “Of course it’s the case that there are significant demands in this unstable world on our armed forces. I think our armed forces are actually doing a fantastic job in responding to those demands, and as I say, it is this Government that is investing in our armed forces.” – PA
Iran vows to ‘pursue and kill’ Binyamin Netanyahu ‘with force’ – report
Reports in Iran from news agency Mehr quote the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as having vowed to kill the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.
The IRGC was quoted as saying they “will continue to pursue and kill him with force”. The IRGC is a big military, political and economic force in Iran, loyal to the country’s supreme leader. – Guardian
Zelenskiy says Ukraine wants money, technology in return for Middle East drone help
Ukraine wants money and technology in return for helping Middle Eastern nations defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, after Kyiv sent specialists to four countries in the region.
Zelenskiy told reporters in comments cleared for release on Sunday that each of the three teams sent to the Middle East consisted of dozens of people, who will conduct expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defences should operate.
Gulf states have expended large quantities of air-defence missiles to counter Iran’s attack drones and have sought Ukraine’s expertise in downing them.
Kyiv downs Russian drones every night using an array of weaponry including cheaper, smaller drones or jamming equipment. – Reuters
Key UAE port outside Strait of Hormuz resumes oil operations after drone strike
Oil-loading operations at a key port in the United Arab Emirates resumed on Sunday after a drone strike and fire forced a halt to exports.
A drone was intercepted Saturday and falling debris caused the fire, Fujairah’s media office said. However, operations at Fujairah, which sits outside the Strait of Hormuz, have restarted, according to sources.
Fujairah sits at the end of a pipeline allowing the UAE to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, the key transit point that has been all-but-closed because of the war between the US, Israel and Iran.
Positioned between the Gulf of Oman and Hajar Mountains, Fujairah is the main export terminal for the UAE’s Murban crude, piped from Abu Dhabi’s production areas.
In addition to Adnoc’s crude-storage facility, the port has capacity for more than 70 million barrels of oil and fuels for traders needing rapid supply access, while the port also serves as a ship refuelling hub. – Bloomberg
Formula One races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia confirmed cancelled by FIA
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has confirmed previous reports of the cancellation of two grands prix set to take place in the Middle East next month.
The international motor racing federation, which acts as the rules bod behind Formula One (F1), said the decision came “after careful evaluations” and was made “due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region”.
“While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April.”
F1’s chief executive Stefano Domenicali said the decision was made with the “safety and well being of our community and colleagues first”.
The circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, is just 32km from a US base previously struck by missiles.
Trump threatens further Kharg Island strikes ‘just for fun’
Trump said on Saturday that the US may carry out more strikes on Iran’s vital Kharg Island oil export hub “just for fun”, rejecting the prospect of a swift peace deal with Tehran.
“The terms aren’t good enough yet,” the US president told NBC News. The Iranian regime wants to make an agreement, he claimed.
After days of conflicting messaging from the White House on how much longer it will continue to wage war on Iran, Trump alleged US strikes had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island, and told the network that its military may hit the site “a few more times just for fun”.
“We’ve totally decimated it,” he said. “Except, as you know, I didn’t do anything having to do with the energy lines, because having to rebuild that would take years.” – Guardian
Three more members of Iranian soccer team to leave Australia
Three members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who had sought asylum in Australia have decided to return to Iran, Australia’s government said on Sunday.
Australia granted humanitarian visas to seven Iranian footballers last week after they sought asylum, saying they feared persecution if they returned home after they failed to sing the national anthem at a Women’s Asian Cup match.
Four of the seven members have decided to leave Australia so far. Another member changed her mind last week.
“After telling Australian officials they had made this decision, the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options,” Australian home affairs minister Tony Burke said in a statement.
“While the Australian government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,” he added.
The Iranian Football Association (FFIRI) named the players as Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali and Zahra Meshkehkar.
“After arriving in Malaysia and joining the rest of Iran’s women’s national football team, the three players will travel to Tehran in the coming days to once again be embraced by their families and homeland,” FFIRI added in a statement.
The Iranian team’s campaign in the Asian Cup started just as the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They were eliminated from the tournament last Sunday. – Reuters
The Pentagon on Saturday identified the six US service members who died this past week when a refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq.
The service members were Maj John A Klinner (33), of Auburn, Alabama; Capt Ariana G Savino (31), of Covington, Washington; Tech Sgt Ashley B Pruitt (34), of Bardstown, Kentucky; Capt Seth R Koval (38) of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt Curtis J Angst (30), of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech Sgt Tyler H Simmons (28), of Columbus, Ohio.
US Central Command stated that the aircraft crashed after an incident involving another plane, which landed safely. The crash, which happened on Thursday in western Iraq, was not a result of hostile or friendly fire, the Central Command said.
The plane that went down was a KC-135, which is used by the Air Force to refuel a wide range of aircraft while in flight. A US official previously said the other plane involved was also a KC-135.
Three of the service members – Klinner, Savino and Pruitt – were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base. – New York Times
US citizens should leave Iraq immediately, the US embassy in Baghdad said in an updated security alert on Saturday, following an overnight missile attack on the embassy’s building.
“US citizens choosing to remain in Iraq are strongly encouraged to reconsider in light of the significant threat posed by Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups,” the embassy said – Reuters
