The conflict, which began when the United States and Israel initiated strikes on February 28, has resulted in thousands of deaths, expanded to neighboring countries, and affected the global economy after failed negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
An Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson announced on Friday that the IDF had started a wave of strikes targeting Tehran’s infrastructure, though details were not provided.
Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates reported dealing with missile attacks early on Friday, following several days of Iranian strikes on regional energy infrastructure that have disrupted global markets.
Kuwait’s state oil company, KPC, reported that its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery suffered multiple drone attacks, leading to a fire in some units. No casualties were initially reported. Firefighters quickly responded, and several units were shut down to ensure safety.
Energy prices spiked on Thursday after Iran retaliated against an Israeli attack on a major gas field by targeting Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, which processes about a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas. The damage is expected to take years to repair.
Saudi Arabia’s main port on the Red Sea, which has been used to bypass Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, was also attacked on Thursday.
Oil prices fell on Friday as European nations and Japan offered assistance to secure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil supplies, while the US outlined plans to increase oil production.
The strikes on regional energy sites highlighted Iran’s capacity to impose significant costs on the US-Israeli campaign and exposed the limitations of air defenses in safeguarding the Gulf’s key energy resources.
Trump, facing political pressure due to rising fuel prices ahead of November’s midterm elections, criticized allies for their cautious response to his demands for securing the Strait of Hormuz.
He stated that he had instructed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to repeat attacks on energy infrastructure.
“I told him, ‘Don’t do that’, and he won’t do that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday.
Netanyahu later confirmed that Israel acted independently in bombing Iran’s South Pars gas field and acknowledged Trump’s request for restraint in such attacks.
Iran, described as “decimated,” no longer has the capability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles, but a change in the country would necessitate a “ground component,” according to Netanyahu, who did not provide further details.
ENERGY CRISIS ESCALATES
As the conflict shows no signs of resolution and the threat of a global “oil shock” increases, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan issued a joint statement expressing their willingness to help ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
They also pledged to take “other steps to stabilize energy markets,” including collaborating with certain producers to boost output.
However, there was little indication of immediate action. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated that any assistance in securing the strait would be contingent upon the end of hostilities.
Major US allies’ reluctance to join the conflict reflects skepticism about a war with unclear objectives that European leaders did not initiate and cannot control.
Israel’s bombing of Iran’s South Pars gas field, reportedly unknown to the US, revealed gaps in the coordination of strategy and war objectives between the main parties involved.
Adding to the confusion, three Israeli officials indicated that the operation had been conducted in coordination with the US but was unlikely to be repeated.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the House intelligence committee that US and Israeli goals diverged: “…the Israeli government has been focused on disabling the Iranian leadership. The president has stated that his objectives are to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile launching capability, their ballistic missile production capability, and their navy.”
‘A NEW STAGE IN THE WAR’
Iran’s military announced that the strikes on its energy infrastructure marked “a new stage in the war,” leading to attacks on energy facilities linked to the United States.
“If strikes (on Iran’s energy facilities) happen again, further attacks on your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will not stop until it is completely destroyed,” Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari said, according to state media.
QatarEnergy’s CEO informed Reuters that the Iranian attacks had disabled a sixth of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, valued at $US20 billion ($NZ34 billion) annually, and repairs would require three to five years.
Israeli media reported an Iranian strike on oil facilities at Israel’s port of Haifa, causing damage but no casualties.
