Middle East crisis live: Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ entire South Pars gasfield if Iran strikes Qatar | US-Israel war on Iran
important events
Ship attacked in the Strait of Hormuz: British officials
You may have missed this news before, a ship was set on fire in an attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the early hours of Thursday.
The UK Merchant Marine Operations center said a ship was “hit by an unknown projectile which caused a fire on board”.
It was stated that the ship was near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, just off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the UAE.
More than 20 ships have been attacked so far during the Iran war.
‘Increasing risk of stagflation’ is troubling markets, strategist warns
In other Asian business news today, Japan’s Nikkei index fell 2.5%, while South Korean stocks fell 1.5%. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell more than 1.5%.
“This latest surge feels like a turning point for markets because the conflict is no longer just about military headlines or closing the Strait of Hormuz,” Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo in Singapore, told Reuters.
“It’s hitting the plumbing of the global energy system right now. What’s troubling markets right now is the rising risk of stagflation… This means this is no longer just a geopolitical story, it’s a macro story.”
Cathay Pacific suspends flights to and from Dubai until end of April
Hong Kong aviation giant Cathay Pacific has suspended flights to and from Dubai due to the war in the Middle East.
“Given the evolving situation in the Middle East, all Cathay Pacific flights to and from Dubai through 30 April 2026 up to and including April 30, 2026,” the company said in a statement, adding that “further changes to our flight schedule may be needed in the coming days.”
Opening summary
Welcome to our live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the broader crisis in the region, and the global economy.
Donald Trump has threatened to “massively blow up” the entire South Pars gas field if Iran launches further retaliatory attacks on Qatar’s LNG gas facilities.
The US president also said this A post on the Truth Social platform He said the US “knew nothing” about Israel’s previous attack on the South Pars field, which Iran shares with Qatar. Trump said that “Israel will not attack again on the ground” unless Iran “decides to attack a very innocent Qatar in this situation.”
Trump added: “In this event, the United States would massively blow up the entire South Pars Gas Field, with or without Israeli assistance or consent, with a force and power that Iran has never before seen or witnessed.”
Israel marked a major escalation of the war by striking the giant South Pars gas field on Wednesday, hours after Israeli forces killed the regime’s intelligence minister and launched some of the most intense airstrikes in Beirut in decades.
Iran condemned the South Pars attack, with President Masoud Pezeshkian warning of “uncontrollable consequences” that could “envelop the whole world”. Iran then launched attacks on the energy facilities of its Gulf neighbors: Qatar’s massive Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility and the Habshan gas facility and Bab field in the United Arab Emirates. BAE said that Habshan and Bab field operations were stopped following interventions in the fields.
The UAE government called Iran’s retaliatory attacks a “dangerous escalation” in the war. Qatar instructed Iranian embassy officials to leave the country within 24 hours.
Other developments include:
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The Pentagon “asked the White House to approve a request to Congress for more than $200 billion to finance the war in Iran.”“According to a senior administration official,” The Washington Post reported.
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Oil price rose to $110 per barrel on Wednesday The growing threat to the Gulf’s oil and gas infrastructure has raised concerns of further disruption to global supplies amid the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
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QatarEnergy says “major fires” caused major damage to LNG facilities following Iran missile strikes in the early hours of Thursday.
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A ship was set on fire in an attack off the UAE coast in the early hours of ThursdayOfficials said the following. The UK Merchant Marine Operations center said “a ship was struck by an unknown shell which caused a fire on board.”
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French President Emmanuel Macron calls for an immediate moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructureand that the civilian population and their needs must be “protected from escalation of military tensions.”
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Three Palestinian women were killed in an Iranian missile attack on the occupied West Bank late Wednesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.
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One person killed in central Israel in latest round of Iranian missile strikes, medics say. This brings the war death toll in Israel to 15.
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Republicans in the US Senate blocked a measure aimed at checking Donald Trump’s authority to wage war on Iran without Congressional authorization.He won 53-47 votes.
