Iraq
Iranian strikes on Gulf aluminium plants raise supply concerns
Two major aluminium production facilities in the Middle East were hit by Iranian strikes on March 28, raising concerns over global supply as disruption in the region intensifies.
Satellite imagery confirms extensive damage at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG plant
Satellite imagery indicates significant damage at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG plant that was hit by Iranian missiles on March 18, including the apparent collapse of primary heat exchangers at Train 6 and structural damage to adjacent facilities.
Pashtun leaders express support for Iran at Pakistan meeting
Pashtun tribal leaders in Pakistan voiced support for Iran during a gathering at the Iranian consulate in Peshawar, signalling the potential for broader regional unrest.
Ukraine and Qatar sign defence cooperation agreement
Ukraine and Qatar have signed a defence cooperation agreement covering joint projects, technology development and investment in missile and drone defence, according to a statement released during a Ukrainian delegation’s visit to Doha.
Yemen’s Houthis enter the Gulf war on Iran's side
Yemeni Houthis officially entered the war on March 28 and announced its first operation, firing a ballistic missile against "Israeli military targets."
Israel hits Iran’s biggest steel plants, Tehran to retaliate
Three co-ordinated Israeli strikes hit all of Iran’s largest steel plants simultaneously on March 28. Iran issued evacuation orders for six of the largest steel plants in neighbouring Gulf countries as well as Israel as it prepared to retaliate.
Iran oil revenues surge as exports rise despite regional tensions
Iran’s oil revenues have climbed sharply in March, rising by an estimated $25mn per day from the previous month to reach $139mn per day, as exports increase and price discounts narrow despite tensions in the Middle East, says Goldman Sachs.
Russian businesses in Middle East slow activity as conflict disrupts deals
There are 14,000 Russian companies registered in the UAE, and 150,000 Russians live there. Without the need for visas and the can-do attitude to business, Dubai has become a favourite destination for Russian entrepreneurs escaping from sanctions.
Anti-Trump protests outweigh supporter rallies - Statista
Protests in the United States against President Donald Trump or the Trump administration by far outweigh rallies organized by Trump supporters, Statista reports.
Second attack on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power station raises Chernobyl radiation cloud spectre
A second missile attack in the proximity to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant (NPP) has raised the spectre of a Chernobyl-like cloud of radiation drifting over the Gulf region, making some countries uninhabitable and poisoning the water.
US Treasury bill market under growing strain from Middle East turmoil
The $30 trillion US Treasury market is exhibiting mounting signs of stress as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East trigger heightened volatility in government bonds that underpin the global financial system.
Iran war creates perfect storm for the petrodollar - Deutsche Bank
The world was already dedollarising thanks to rising East-West tensions and the US decision to weaponize the dollar in 2022 by seizing the Russian central bank’s reserves. Trump has gone a step further.
Iran war is Asia's Ukraine moment, rapid green energy rollout will accelerate
Three quarters of the world's population live in fossil importing countries and bleed out at least 3% of GDP every year to import oil to run their cars and power plants.
Israel, US have armed themselves for the wrong war
The Israeli Army took its heaviest tank losses in over 40 years after Hezbollah ambushes destroyed 21 Merkavas main battle tanks in a single day on March 26. Israel and the US have armed themselves for the wrong war.
Iran drives US military out of all thirteen of its gulf military bases
Iran has driven the US military out of all thirteen of its Gulf military bases, The New York Times (NYT) reported on March 25.
Saudi Arabia boosts Red Sea oil exports to 4.4mn b/d
Saudi Arabia has sharply increased crude exports from its Red Sea terminals at Yanbu as it diverts shipments away from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, where flows have been severely disrupted since late February, according to Bloomberg.
UAE advances alternative trade route to bypass Strait of Hormuz
The United Arab Emirates is accelerating efforts to establish a new trade corridor linking its eastern seaboard to Saudi Arabia, to bypass the Strait of Hormuz bottleneck.
Israel targeting civilians in southern Lebanon invasion
Israel is deliberately targeting residential buildings and populated areas in an attempt to depopulate southern Lebanon, according to reports.
How long would countries' oil stocks last? Statista
As global oil markets reel from the fallout of the Iran conflict, strategic reserves have once again come into focus as a key buffer against supply shocks, Statista reports.
Iran’s missiles, drones stored under impenetrable granite mountains
US President Donald Trump claims US forces have destroyed Iran’s missile and drone stockpiles. But since the first days of the war the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) triggered its Mosaic Defences and hid its weapons inside mountains.