US-Israel-Iran War Highlights: Iran Struck Oil Refinery In Kuwait; Trump Called NATO 'Cowards'

Iran launched missile attacks on oil refinery in Kuwait Friday reported Reuters. The missiles hit an oil refinery and damaged residential areas in Israel, as the war on Iran enters its fourth week.

Iran launched missile attacks, hitting an oil refinery in Kuwait and damaging residential areas in Israel, as the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its fourth week https://t.co/4nAwykONHD pic.twitter.com/k1tZVIYs5y

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 20, 2026

Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tankers are preparing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz in coming days after a pause in voyages, with no crude oil tankers having transited the waterway in the past 24 hours, ​news agency Reuters reported, citing shipping data and sources.

Donald trump said that America is not going to let Iran have nuclear weapons. 

Donald trump said that America is doing "extremely well" in Iran while speaking at a presentation in the White House. 

"Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

- Truth Social

 

From sudden airspace curbs to elevated fuel prices to high insurance premiums, airlines are grappling with rising complexities in West Asia operations, which are already curtailed amid the escalating conflict in the region.

Airline officials and crew members said the situation is very dynamic and there are a lot of variables while operating flights to the West Asia region.

On Thursday, aviation watchdog DGCA asked airlines to avoid nine airspaces in the region and ensure robust contingency plans as part of safety risk assessments

The NATO mission in Iraq has temporarily withdrawn from the country, two Iraqi security officials told the AFP news agency.

“There is no disagreement” with the Iraqi government, one official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “It’s a temporary withdrawal. They are worried because of the situation,” he added.

Another official said that “the entire NATO mission has withdrawn”, except for a small number of personnel.

On Friday, A NATO spokesperson confirmed that the military alliance is “adjusting” its Iraq mission, the AFP report added.

Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warns that it could take six months to restore oil and gas flows from the Gulf, the Financial Times reported.

Birol says politicians and markets are underestimating the scale of the disruption to oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf region.

Over the past week, some of the world’s largest oil and gas refineries in the Gulf region have been struck by Iran.

Iran’s top military spokesman has warned that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide will not be safe for Tehran’s enemies.

General Abolfazl Shekarchi said, in a statement published online by Iranian state television, “From now on, based on the information we have about you, even parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations anywhere in the world will no longer be safe for you.”
 

(Source: Al Jazeera)

The United States has targeted Iran's Military infrastructure, NDTV reported on Friday. 

Removing oil sanctions on stranded Iranian oil would get supplies to Asia within three or four days, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday the US may soon remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded on tankers at sea, as Washington seeks to curb prices soaring over Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“Within days, within three or four days, that oil will start to arrive at ports,” Wright said in an interview with Fox Business Network.

Iran has created a de facto ‘safe’ shipping corridor through its territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz, offering vetted vessels passage in exchange for approval — and in at least one case, a reported $2m payment.

(Source: Media reports)

Switzerland has halted approvals for weapons exports to the United States, citing its neutrality amid the ongoing Israeli-US war on Iran.

In a statement on Friday, the government said “the export of war materiel to countries involved in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorised for the duration of the conflict”.

“Exports of war materiel to the USA cannot currently be authorised,” the statement added.

(Source: Al Jazeera)

The International Energy Agency (IEA) report has also noted that number-plate rotation schemes can reduce congestion and fuel-intensive driving.

"Increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices, as higher car occupancy and eco-driving can lower fuel consumption quickly. Efficient driving for road commercial vehicles and delivery of goods…better driving practices, vehicle maintenance and load optimisation can cut diesel use.

"Divert LPG use from transport..shifting bi-fuel and converted vehicles from LPG to gasoline can preserve LPG for cooking and other essential needs. Avoid air travel where alternative options exist, as reducing business flights can quickly ease pressure on jet fuel markets," it said.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has advocated a set of immediate demand-side measures, including work-from-home, lower speed limits, and reduced air travel to cushion the impact of a historic global oil supply shock triggered by disruptions in the Middle East.

Key steps include promoting remote work to cut commuting fuel use, reducing highway speeds by at least 10 km per hour, encouraging public transport and carpooling, and limiting private vehicle access in major cities.

Russia has summoned the Israeli Envoy to express strong condemnation over Israeli strikes near RT journalists in Lebanon, calling it "not accidental", reports NDTV.

Iranian-linked facilities in Dubai have been closed as the Iran war has seen the United Arab Emirates repeatedly targeted by Iranian fire. The Iranian Hospital, opened in 1972 under the shah in Dubai, stood closed on Friday. Its website was down and its phone number disconnected.

The hospital, while providing affordable medical care for decades, also had been linked to Iranian intelligence operations in the past, including an incident in which a Dubai police officer allegedly spied for cheaper health care for his daughter.
 

India Could See Rs 50,000 Crore Import Hit, Rising Inflation Risks As War Persists

• DG Shipping to soon make presentation to Cabinet Secretariat on macroeconomic impact of Middle East crisis and elevated crude.
• DG Shipping estimates an annualised impact of Rs 30,000-50,000 crore in additional import bill if crude levels remain sustained, underlines note.
• Trade deficit could widen by $5-10 billion quarterly in short-term.
• WPI inflation could rise 0.3–0.7%, exports could see 2-4% hit.
• Logistics cost as % of GDP will see a temporary spike from 13-14% to 14-15%.
• Continuation of Middle East situation over next 2–3 months expected to result in increased energy import risks, broader macroeconomic pressures, including inflation and widening trade deficit.
• While impact is manageable in the short term, a prolonged disruption could have material economic consequences.
• NDTV Profit has reached out to DG Shipping, response is awaited.

As Muslims worldwide prepare for the typically joyous holiday, Lebanon has crossed a grim milestone. The renewal of the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group has displaced some 1 million in Lebanon. Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,000 people, Lebanese health officials say.

Earlier this month, the Iran-backed Hezbollah entered the wider Iran war by firing rockets at Israel, prompting heavy Israeli bombardment of southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, driving many from their homes.

Israel's military said it struck sites in Syria in response to attacks against the Druze. The army said it struck infrastructure belonging to Syria in response to attacks on Druze population in Sweida in southern Syria. Syria's state-run SANA news agency did not immediately acknowledge the attack, which marks the first Israeli attack on Syria as its war with the United States targeting Iran continues.

Israel has a significant Druze population. Israel previously has intervened in defence of the Druze in Syria, launching dozens of airstrikes on convoys of government fighters and even striking the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters in central Damascus.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Iran's Parliament, is praising Iran's successful strike on a US F-35 fighter jet, calling it a symbol of US military invincibility and arrogance.

In a post, he wrote, "The F-35 was not just a fighter jet but a statue of the US military's invincibility and arrogance. A theological symbol claimed to be invisible to any eye and superior to any power; but the hand of God is above their hands. This symbol was struck for the first time in the world, yet God cast. And this was the moment of collapse of an order."

Ali Mohammad Naeini, the spokesman for Iran's Revolutionary Guards, was killed in a suspected US-Israeli strike early on Friday. The state-owned Tasnim news agency reported his death, stating he was killed alongside other top officials. 

Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei called for the enemies of his nations to have their “security” taken away, in his latest message to the public. Khamenei made the remarks in a statement issued on his behalf and sent to President Masoud Pezeshkian, after Israel killed Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.

Khamenei hasn't been seen since he was named as supreme leader, succeeding his father, the 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the first day of the war on February 28. American and Israeli officials have suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei was hurt in the war

The UAE said it disrupted what it called 'a terrorist network funded and operated by Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iran.' It arrested five men accused of laundering money, alleging they were "operating within the country under a fictitious commercial cover” that sought to carry out schemes that would threaten the country's financial stability. It published images of five prisoners on its state-run WAM news agency, without identifying them.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry said a fire broke out after shrapnel from an intercepted projectile landed on a warehouse, and Saudi Arabia reported shooting down multiple drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.

The renewed attacks came after an intense day that saw Iran hit energy infrastructure around the region and launch more than a dozen missile salvos at Israel following the attack on South Pars.

An update from the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, in a statement said that the Al Ahmadi Port Refinery, affiliated with the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, was subjected to several hostile attacks this morning using drones, resulting in a fire breaking out in some of its units.

- Initial estimates indicate no human injuries resulting from these attacks.

- Firefighting and emergency teams immediately began addressing this fire, while several units in the refinery were shut down and all necessary measures and precautions were taken to ensure the safety of the workers.

India's envoy Vikram Doraiswami has strongly condemned the attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, stating that targeting innocent crews and disrupting safe navigation is unacceptable. 

"Targeting commercial shipping, endangering crews and impeding safe navigation through" Strait of Hormuz is "unacceptable," Indian envoy Vikram Doraiswami tells International Maritime Organisation, top UN Maritime body.

European countries including France, Germany and Italy have said they are ready to help ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but only after a ceasefire is reached in the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Aviation watchdog DGCA has advised airlines to refrain from operating within the 11 affected airspaces in the Middle East at all flight levels and altitudes, reports NDTV.

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received a phone call from President Donald Trump of the United States of America, during which they discussed developments in the region and their serious implications for regional and international peace and security.
 
The two sides also discussed the ongoing Iranian attacks targeting the UAE and other countries in the region, including attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and vital facilities, noting that they constitute a violation of state sovereignty and international law.
 
President Trump condemned these attacks and affirmed the United States’ solidarity with the UAE and countries in the region, as well as its full support for efforts to defend their territory, stability, and security. 

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality at the White House.

In a post on X, she wrote, "Thank you, President Donald Trump for your warm hospitality today at the White House and at this evening’s dinner. We had substantive and forward-looking discussions across a wide range of issues, reaffirming the strength of the Japan-U.S. Alliance. It was a truly meaningful and productive day. I look forward to continuing close cooperation between Japan and the United States to make our two nations stronger and more prosperous."
 

Heavy explosions shook Dubai as air defenses intercepted incoming fire over the city, where people were observing Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and mosques made the day's first call to prayers.

Kuwait said its Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery again came under attack by Iranian drones, which sparked a fire at several of its units. Kuwait said firefighters were trying to control the blazes and there were no immediate injuries from the attack.

The attack comes as Iran increasingly targets energy sites in Gulf Arab states after Israel on Wednesday bombed Iran's massive South Pars offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf.
 

US State Department's emergency approved a $16.5 billion arms deal to UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan, supplying drones, missiles, and radars to replenish defenses depleted by Iranian drone swarms and ballistic strikes in the ongoing Gulf War, reports NDTV.

Kuwaiti air defenses are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks. The General Staff of the Army said that if explosion sounds are heard, they result from the air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks. 
 

Saudi Arabia is warning that oil prices could skyrocket to $180 per barrel if the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted until late April. This comes as oil prices have been volatile since the war began on Feb 28, with Brent crude briefly hitting $119 per barrel before dropping. The disruptions are largely due to Iran's attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf, which have halted shipping through the strait, a critical route for 20% of global oil supply, reports Al Jazeera.

Across the US, gas prices are now near their highest levels since 2022. Drivers were paying an average of $3.88 for a gallon of regular gasoline on Thursday, compared with $2.98 before the war started. Prices have increased about 30% since the US and Israel attacked Iran.

The spike in oil prices is likely to further push up gasoline prices, and could be felt more significantly in Asia and Europe, which are more dependent on Middle Eastern oil and gas than the United States.

Members of Iran's national women's soccer team were greeted with a welcome ceremony upon their return to the Islamic Republic after several of the players sought asylum in Australia. People in the crowd waved flags while some of the players held bouquets of flowers and signed what appeared to be mini-soccer balls.

Two Iranian female players, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, chose to remain in Australia and have been training with the Brisbane Roar club.
 

Netanyahu said, "Iran's air defenses have been rendered useless, their navy is lying at the bottom of the sea. ... Their air force is nearly destroyed." He said he hopes the Iranian people will rise up against the Islamic Republic that has ruled for nearly a half-century. There's been no sign of any organized opposition since the war began, after Iranian authorities crushed mass protests in January.

The prime minister's comments to foreign journalists came amid difficult days for Trump and Netanyahu, with a top US intelligence official resigning and claiming Israel pushed Trump into the war, and Israel's attacks on South Pars, which led to Iran's retaliatory strikes on the region's oil and gas fields.

"I misled no one," Netanyahu said. "And I didn't have to convince President Trump about the need to prevent Iran from developing its nuclear programme."

More than 1,300 people in Iran have been killed during the war. Israeli strikes against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon have displaced more than 1 million people, according to the Lebanese government, which says more than 1,000 people have been killed. Israel says it has killed more than 500 Hezbollah militants. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. Four people were also killed in the occupied West Bank by an Iranian missile strike overnight.

At least 13 US military members have been killed.

Six major international powers said they were prepared to help ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, though three emphasised that any effort would come only after a ceasefire.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands said they were ready "to contribute to appropriate efforts" to safeguard navigation in the strategic waterway.

Italy, Germany and France later clarified that this did not imply any immediate military involvement, but rather a possible multilateral initiative once hostilities have ceased.

(Source: AFP)

The competent authorities in Dubai confirm that the sounds heard in various areas of the Dubai Emirate are the result of successful interceptions by air defenses. Authorities in Dubai confirm the success of all air interception operations, with no injuries reported. 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sought to reaffirm her alliance with President Donald Trump after the president this week seemed to complain that Japan was among the nations that did not quickly join his call to help protect the Strait of Hormuz.

Takaichi, who met with Trump at the White House, told the Republican president that Japan has opposed Iran's development of its nuclear programme and appealed to his desire to be seen as a peacemaker, despite his launching a war of choice with Iran.
 

The US and its allies are taking aggressive action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with low-flying attack jets targeting Iranian naval vessels and Apache helicopters shooting down Iran's drones, according to American military officials, as reported by Wall Street Journal.

The United Nations Security Council held an urgent closed meeting on Thursday during which Gulf countries stressed the need for Iran to halt attacks on them, said Bahrain's UN Ambassador Jamal Alrowaiei, the Arab representative on the UN's most powerful body.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked airlines to avoid the airspaces of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to an advisory.

Indian airlines can operate flights over Oman and Saudi Arabia airspaces subject to certain conditions, the regulator said.

It told the airlines not to operate below FL 320 or 32,000 feet within the airspace of Saudi Arabia and Oman located south of the segments defined by following compulsory reporting points.

About the nine airspaces, the DGCA asked airlines to "refrain from operating within the affected airspace...at all flight levels and altitudes".

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has slammed Israel's government, calling their actions "state terrorism" that undermine international law. He's also criticised the US for escalating tensions, citing aggression against Iran and the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pezeshkian warns that Washington's actions threaten global stability, cautioning, "If the world fails to stand firm, its flames will burn many."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to leaders from Qatar, France, Jordan, Oman and Malaysia on Thursday, and expressed concern over the evolving situation in the Middle East. Seeking de-escalation in the conflict in West Asia, Modi strongly condemned the attacks on the region's energy infrastructure.

In separate telephonic conversations with five leaders, the prime minister highlighted the need for dialogue and diplomacy for an early restoration of peace, security and stability in the region, and laid stress on safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. He reiterated that India stands in solidarity with Qatar and strongly condemns the attacks on the region's energy infrastructure.

The prime minister has also spoken to several other world leaders, including those from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel and Iran, since the conflict began.

Israel pledged to refrain from more strikes on a key Iranian gas field after Iran intensified attacks on oil and natural gas facilities around the Gulf, raising the stakes in a war that has sent shock waves through energy markets and the global economy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on late Thursday that, at the request of President Donald Trump, Israel will hold off on any further attacks on the offshore gas field.

The Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, a sizable amount that is certain to be met with questions from Congress, which would need to approve any new money. The department sent the request to the White House, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private information.

Asked about the figure at a press conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not directly confirm the amount, saying it could change. "It takes money to kill bad guys," Hegseth said. But he said "we're going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we're properly funded."

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth implied more Iranian leaders could be targeted, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij, a powerful internal security force whose leader was killed by Israel this week.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that US forces were attacking deeper into Iranian territory, with warplanes hunting Iranian boats in the strait and helicopters striking Iranian drones. Caine said the US. military has also dropped 5,000-pound bombs on underground weapons-storage facilities.