On Tuesday, Iran launched new attacks on Gulf countries, continuing to pressure the Middle East in a war that has led to a sharp rise in oil prices and affected the global economy, AP reports, writes UNN.
Details
According to AP, early in the morning in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Bahrain, sirens sounded, signaling approaching missiles, while Saudi Arabia announced the destruction of two drones over its oil-rich eastern region, and the Kuwait National Guard reported shooting down six drones.
Five pro-Iranian militants were killed in an airstrike in northern Iraq.
As AP notes, since the beginning of the war, at least 1,230 people have died in Iran, at least 397 in Lebanon, and 11 in Israel, officials say. A total of seven US servicemen have died.
In addition to missile attacks and drone strikes on Israel and American bases in the region, Iran is also attacking energy infrastructure, which, combined with its control over the Strait of Hormuz, has led to a sharp rise in oil prices, the publication writes.
The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, jumped to nearly $120 on Monday before falling, but on Tuesday it was still around $90 a barrel, almost 24% higher than at the start of the war on February 28.
Financial markets, which have fluctuated sharply in recent days, started the day on Tuesday in Asia with early gains, building on late optimism in the US.
Facing difficulties related to the conflict, Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco reported a profit of $104 billion in 2025, down from $110 billion in 2024.
Aramco, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Oil Co., said its revenue in 2025 was $445 billion, down from $480 billion in 2024.
US President Donald Trump, who previously said the war could last a month or longer, on Tuesday tried to downplay growing fears that it could be a long-term regional conflict, saying it "will be a short-term operation."
CNN notes that as strikes continue in the Middle East for a second week, US President Trump is giving conflicting answers about how long the war will last, while Iran signals its readiness for a prolonged struggle.
Here's what else is known:
- Israel strikes Iran: Israel launched a "wide wave" of strikes on Tehran on Tuesday night, after attacking military infrastructure in three Iranian provinces earlier on Monday, CNN writes. Also, as AP notes, the Israeli military said it had completed a series of strikes targeting Hezbollah's financial arm, Al-Qard al-Hasan. Israel claims that Hezbollah uses Al-Qard al-Hasan to finance its military activities, and last week attacked several of the group's branches in southern and eastern Lebanon;
- Gulf countries: neighboring countries reported new attacks on Monday, with one person killed and eight injured in an Iranian strike in Bahrain. Last week, the Iranian president said that Tehran would stop striking its neighbors if attacks on Iran did not come from these countries;
- Trump's comments: On Monday, US President Donald Trump said that US goals were "pretty well achieved" and the war could end soon - immediately after telling House Republicans that "we haven't won enough." He also said that the US was leaving some "important targets" in Iran for future attacks. Trump also said he was "disappointed" by the choice of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the assassinated leader Ali Khamenei. But Trump did not say he wanted to strike the new leader;
- girls' school: the aftermath of the strike on an Iranian girls' school continues, which, according to Iranian state media, killed at least 168 children. Trump suggested that other countries might have struck the school, CNN writes, "mistakenly claiming that Iran possesses Tomahawk missiles similar to the one believed to have been used in the attack." Earlier, footage emerged that apparently showed an American missile targeting an Iranian naval base near the school;
- oil supply disruptions: countries are preparing for the consequences, as an estimated 20% of global oil supplies have already been disrupted. Pakistan has announced extreme austerity measures, South Korea is implementing its first fuel price cap in almost 30 years, and G7 ministers have met to discuss the possibility of releasing strategic oil reserves. Meanwhile, Trump said he would "lift some oil-related sanctions," without specifying which ones, and claimed that the war would ultimately lower oil prices in the long run;
- Strait of Hormuz: Tehran and Washington are exchanging threats over this crucial waterway, which has been effectively closed since the start of the war. Trump tried to reassure tanker operators who refuse to pass through the strait and threatened tougher measures against Iran if it tries to stop the flow of oil. Iran responded that its armed forces "expect" American naval vessels in the strait;
- Tehran's threats: Iran will intensify missile strikes and launch only missiles with warheads weighing more than a ton, an Iranian military commander said on Monday. Separately, a senior Iranian official ruled out diplomatic measures at this time, telling CNN that Tehran would continue to attack Gulf countries and that the war would end only through economic losses.
Trump called the war in Iran a "short-term excursion"09.03.26, 23:50 • [views_13223]