5h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 3:29amA quick recap of what’s happened today
In case you’re just joining us, here’s a quick recap of what’s happened today so far:
Iran’s foreign minister vowed “zero restraint” from Tehran if its oil sites are targeted by the US or Israel again;US President Donald Trump said Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed not to target Iranian gas fields a second time;At a White House meeting, Trump told Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi he didn’t tell US allies about his strikes on Iran ahead of time because he “wanted surprise” — then likened the situation to Pearl Harbor;Netanyahu denied reports that the US had been dragged into the Iran conflict by Israel, asking if anyone really thought Trump could be told what to do;A news crew for Russia’s state-controlled RT network narrowly survived a strike in southern Lebanon that landed metres from where it was broadcasting;The US approved the sale of more than $23 billion worth of arms to the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan;America’s Treasury secretary said the US was considering lifting sanctions on Iranian oil to increase global supply;Israel launched a major attack on infrastructure across Tehran on the eve of Nowruz, or Persian New Year;Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudia Arabia were targeted by missiles and drones in apparent retaliation.
Stay with us throughout the day for more updates on events as they happen.
20m agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 8:25am
Spain to help reduce petrol and diesel prices
Spain is set to cut fuel taxes in a bid to ease the economic impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict, according to reports.
The government plans to reduce value-added tax (VAT) on fuel products from 21 per cent to 10 per cent, a move aimed at lowering costs for consumers and businesses already facing rising energy prices.
In addition, Madrid is expected to suspend the excise duty on hydrocarbons.
If implemented, the measures could lead to an immediate drop in diesel and petrol prices.
The reported changes form part of a broader effort to cushion households and the economy from volatility in global energy markets, as geopolitical tensions continue to drive up oil prices.
Reporting by Reuters
36m agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 8:09amIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson killed in strikes: Iran state TV
A spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ali Mohammad Naini, has been killed in strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, according to Iranian state television.
Naini also served as the IRGC’s deputy head of public relations.
Prior to his death, Naini had defended Iran’s missile capabilities, saying the country’s program deserved a “perfect score” and insisting production would continue even under wartime conditions, as reported by the Fars News Agency.
Reuters/AFP
1h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 7:43am
📷 Images capture the past few days of the war
As the war continues, here are some images that were captured in the past few days of those affected.
Israeli soldiers take photographs next to a fragment of a missile fired from Iran, and intercepted by an Israeli defense system. (AP: Ohad Zwigenberg)
Iranians marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year, early Friday as air strikes began, with Israel’s military confirming it had launched strikes on Tehran before dawn.
A woman shops for flowers in northern Tehran ahead of Nowruz, the Persian New Year meaning “New Day”. (AP: Vahid Salemi)
European leaders have deflected entreaties from US President Donald Trump to join the fight, but they have also fiercely criticised the Iranian government.
US President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One yesterday. (AP: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
1h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
Greens’ David Shoebridge says PM is ‘recycling Donald Trump’s lies’ on Iran war
Greens senator David Shoebridge speaks to the ABC. (ABC News)
The Greens’ defence spokesperson, Senator David Shoebridge, has also spoken with Patricia Karvelas this afternoon about the Iran conflict.
He takes particular issue with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s statements yesterday that a key objective of the war with Iran had been achieved, specifically that Iran no longer had the ability to develop a nuclear weapon.
Senator Shoebridge calls it a “bald-faced lie from the prime minister”.
“This is a war based on lies, [and] it is extraordinary that [the PM] is recycling Donald Trump’s lies,” he says.
“He said that a bare handful of hours after the US Congress heard evidence from [US national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard] that there was no such threat from Iran’s nuclear weapons program, that the bombastic statements from Donald Trump [after last year’s attack] that it had been obliterated, there was truth in those — and that indeed the best evidence the national security agencies in the US had … was that Iran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program.”
To be clear, the PM’s statement yesterday wasn’t so much an endorsement of Donald Trump’s threat assessment (or a celebration of his military prowess), as it was a call for the conflict to be brought to an end.
It’s clear Shoebridge believes that call could be stronger, though.
Asked about Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this morning, he says “mealy-mouthed language about escalation” isn’t what Australia wants from its foreign minister.
“What Penny Wong needed to say to Marco Rubio was, ‘Your war is illegal, your war has been started in gross breach of international law, we are going to be withdrawing our military assets from the region, we’re not going to be assisting you in this war, and we’re not going to be permitting [US] bases on Australian soil to be used for another illegal forever war in the Middle East,'” he says.
1h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 6:51am
Israel says it struck a Syrian ‘commander centre’ and weapons depots after attacks on Druze
Israel’s military said on Friday 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 populations 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 air strikes on convoys of government fighters and even striking the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in central Damascus.
AP
2h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 6:29am
IEA outlines ways to ease consumer oil costs amid Middle East supply disruption
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has outlined urgent demand-side measures to help ease the global oil crisis caused by the Middle East conflict, which has severely disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing crude above $100 per barrel and spiking diesel, jet fuel, and LPG prices.
A historic 400 million-barrel release from emergency reserves is underway, but the IEA says supply-side action alone is insufficient, making immediate demand reduction critical.
The IEA report identifies ten key actions:
1. Work from home where possible
Displaces oil use from commuting, particularly where jobs are suitable for remote work.
2. Reduce highway speed limits by at least 10km/h
Lower speeds reduce fuel use for passenger cars, vans and trucks.
3. Encourage public transport
A shift from private cars to buses and trains can quickly reduce oil demand.
4. Alternate private car access to roads in large cities on different days
Number-plate rotation schemes can reduce congestion and fuel-intensive driving.
5. Increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices
Higher car occupancy and eco-driving can lower fuel consumption quickly.
6. Efficient driving for road commercial vehicles and delivery of goods
Better driving practices, vehicle maintenance and load optimisation can cut diesel use.
7. Divert LPG use from transport
Shifting bi-fuel and converted vehicles from LPG to gasoline can preserve LPG for cooking and other essential needs.
8. Avoid air travel where alternative options exist
Reducing business flights can quickly ease pressure on jet fuel markets.
9. Where possible, switch to other modern cooking solutions
Encouraging electric cooking and other modern options can reduce reliance on LPG.
10. Leverage flexibility with petrochemical feedstocks and implement short-term efficiency and maintenance measures
Industry can help free up LPG for essential uses while reducing oil consumption through quick operational improvements.
2h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 6:18am
The war in Iran raises pressure on Ukraine while Russia prepares new offensives
With US-mediated Ukraine peace talks stalled due to the Middle East conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to pursue new offensives against Ukraine’s southern regions, potentially increasing pressure on Kyiv.
(AP: Maxim Shipenkov)
Rising global oil prices are boosting Moscow’s war finances, while US air defence resources are being stretched thin by Iranian attacks in the Gulf, raising concerns that less help will be available for Ukraine in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Another emerging issue that is fraught with potential repercussions for Ukraine is the refusal by European NATO countries to commit naval assets to help restore tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which has drawn an angry rebuke from US President Donald Trump.
(AP Photo: Alex Brandon)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought to keep the US onside by offering Kyiv’s expertise in defending against Iranian Shahed drones, offering to send up to 200 military specialists to the Gulf.
Trump, however, dismissed the offer, stating the US does not require Ukraine’s assistance.
Reporting with AP
2h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 6:14am
Nationals’ Susan McDonald wants Australia to ‘drill, baby, drill’
Opposition resources spokesperson Susan McDonald has just spoken with the ABC’s Patricia Karvelas about the conflict, at least in terms of how it relates to Australia’s fuel security.
Senator McDonald says “now more than ever” Australians know how important it is to be self-sufficient when it comes to energy, and calls for the rebuilding of Australia’s domestic oil industry, which has shrunk considerably since the Bass Strait was largely depleted.
“Drill, baby, drill,” she says, pulling out a favourite quote of former US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, since adopted by fans of the resources industry the world over.
“We want to see Australia return to the sort of fuel security that it used to enjoy just over 20 years ago.”
Senator Susan McDonald speaks to the ABC. (ABC News)
Asked for specifics, Senator McDonald mentions oil resources in the Great Australian Bight — causing PK to point out that South Australia’s Liberals want it to be given a World Heritage listing.
“Just to be clear, you don’t support the South Australian Liberal position?” she asks the senator.
“We have a World Heritage listing in Queensland that promised us more environmental jobs, more tourism jobs; it never eventuated,” Senator McDonald says.
“I think we should be looking at Australians making our own decisions on where we preserve and where we don’t.”
3h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 5:32am
Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery hit by drone attack, fire breaks out
Kuwait’s state oil company, KPC, reported that its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was struck by multiple drone attacks early Friday, triggering fires in several units.
No casualties have been reported so far, according to the state news agency.
Kuwait is situated at the north-western edge of the Persian Gulf.
Fire crews responded immediately, and affected units were shut down as a safety precaution.
The refinery had also been targeted on Thursday, causing additional fires.
The attack coincided with Kuwait’s celebration of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.
It comes amid rising tensions in the Gulf, with Iran increasingly targeting energy infrastructure in Arab states following Israel’s bombing of Iran’s South Pars offshore gas field on Wednesday.
Mina Al-Ahmadi, one of Kuwait’s three oil refineries, can process roughly 730,000 barrels of oil per day.
KPC confirmed the affected units had been shut down.
Kuwait’s ability to export oil remains constrained, as the country relies on shipments through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz — frequent targets amid ongoing regional hostilities.
Reuters/AP
3h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 5:24amAdditional US ships, Marines reportedly being deployed to Middle East
Conservative US news outlet Newsmax is reporting an additional 2,500 US Marines and several amphibious landing ships are being deployed to the Middle East from the United States.
The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group — which includes the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship and two amphibious transport dock ships, the USS Comstock and USS Portland — left the US west coast earlier today with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit on board, according to multiple US media outlets.
The USS Boxer in the Arabian Gulf in 2019. (US Navy via Reuters: Keypher Strombeck)
Newsmax is reporting the group is heading to the Middle East, after the ships’ sailors and the 2,500 Marines had their leave periods shortened.
If the reports are true, the warships and Marines will join the USS Tripoli and its ready group, as well as the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, both of which were redeployed from Japan last Saturday.
Newsmax is a conservative cable news channel originally launched as a competitor to Fox News.
Openly supportive of US President Donald Trump, it nevertheless refused to sign an agreement with the Pentagon that would have barred its journalists from reporting information that had not been pre-approved by the government.
3h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 5:08am
Analysis: Trump has postponed a meeting with Xi, but China’s not wasting time on it
For months behind the scenes in Beijing, Chinese and American officials have been locked in negotiations over one of the most consequential political meetings of this year.
China has welcomed seven world leaders in the past three months, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (Reuters: Vincent Thian/Pool)
China’s President Xi Jinping was to host United States President Donald Trump at a highly choreographed reception in Beijing at the end of the month.
But just days out from touchdown in Beijing, Mr Trump postponed the meeting, citing a need to remain in America and keep his focus on the ongoing war in Iran.
Read China correspondent Allyson Horn’s full analysis:
3h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 4:48am
Analysis: Despite ‘Pearl Harbor’ moment, Takaichi likely to consider Trump meeting a success
Sanae Takaichi’s faltering smile and widening eyes as Donald Trump jokingly referred to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor are dominating international news coverage of the two leaders’ meeting at the White House.
Mr Trump made the World War II reference while explaining why US allies weren’t consulted ahead of the Iran War, citing the need for “surprise” in military encounters.
But despite the awkward moment, it’s likely Ms Takaichi and her team would view the meeting as a success.
The Japanese prime minister was ready for a “very difficult” discussion with Mr Trump, given his recent request to Japan and other allies to send warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
As a direct result of the Pearl Harbor attack and World War II, Japan has a pacifist constitution, primarily written by US officials.
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The constitution makes it “legally difficult”, in Sanae Takaichi’s words, for the country to provide the military support Mr Trump asked for.
While there are ambiguities within the legal framework, Japan is broadly restrained from using force, except to defend its own territory and survival.
There were dire predictions among several analysts that the meeting could be a test of the US-Japan alliance, and that there was a risk of Mr Trump lashing out, following his social media post decrying the lack of support from allies, including Japan.
Instead, he praised Ms Takaichi and said Japan was “stepping up to the plate … unlike NATO”.
Mr Trump didn’t elaborate, saying only that the US had “tremendous support” from Japan “based on statements that were given to us”.
Ms Takaichi faced a difficult diplomatic tightrope, given Japan’s dependence on its military relationship with the US and concerns about the impact of the Iran War on security in the region.
It’s not clear what support Japan has offered, but clearly Ms Takaichi’s explanations of the country’s limitations and whatever offers of assistance were made have been well received.
4h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 4:37amIsrael strikes Parchin military complex in latest salvo against Iran
It’s morning in Tehran, and we’re now seeing our first reports out of the city after Israel said it had launched a series of strikes on Iranian infrastructure earlier today.
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, who is on the ground in Tehran, says the capital’s eastern and central areas were struck overnight, with one attack hitting the Parchin military complex, about 30 kilometres south-east of the city.
One of Iran’s most sensitive military sites, the Parchin complex has been used to develop missile, drone and nuclear technology.
It was the subject of a major Israeli strike in October 2024, and has also been hit several times over the course of this latest conflict.
Satellite images released last month showed the regime had built a large concrete structure over a new building at the complex.
The Parchin military complex in October 2024, left, and January 2026. (Vantor via Reuters)
4h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 4:00am
Penny Wong tells Rubio Australia does not want conflict to escalate
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong says she spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the phone this morning about the Iran conflict, expressing particular concern about Iran’s reprisal attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure.
Senator Wong says she told her US counterpart that Australia condemns Iran’s attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which have triggered a massive spike in the price of oil.
“We agreed that the international community must keep working together to ensure critical waterways are not held hostage by the Iranian regime,” she says.
“Australia does not want to see the conflict continue to escalate.”
Senator Wong has spoken to the foreign ministers of Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the EU this week, and is due to speak to Indian Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar later this afternoon.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong. (ABC News: Pedro Ribeiro)
5h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 3:43am
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it has arrested 178 ‘traitors and mercenaries’
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Iranian military branch charged with protecting the regime itself, has announced it has arrested 178 people it has labelled “traitors and mercenaries of the US-Israeli enemy” since the war broke out, according to Iran’s state-controlled IRNA News Agency.
Those arrested have been accused of sending information about the location of “Red Crescent centres and checkpoints” to the US or Israel to target, according to an IRGC statement, as well as sending pictures of the aftermath of military strikes.
The statement goes on to say a number of foreign nationals have also been arrested, some carrying “weapons, location-finding devices, special communication devices, and foreign currencies”.
5h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 3:14amBahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia targeted by missiles, drones
Detailed reports are yet to emerge about the nature of the Israeli strikes on Tehran we mentioned earlier.
What we do know is Iranian air defences were activated, and Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have all reported being targeted by missile or drone attacks in the hours since — a form of retaliation that has typically followed significant strikes on Iran over the past three weeks.
The UAE has also activated its air defences and warned residents to retreat to shelters.
Israel’s attack on Tehran came as Iranians prepared to mark Nowruz, or the Persian New Year.
The day is typically celebrated by Iranians visiting relatives, exchanging gifts, and even spring cleaning.
Shoppers at a bazaar in Tehran ahead of Nowruz celebrations. (WANA via Reuters: Majid Asgaripour)
6h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 2:46am
Trump, Netanyahu sculptures burned at Spanish festival
In Spain, where opposition to the Iran war is fierce — a stance reflected by its government — the residents of Valencia, an autonomous city on the Mediterranean, have just ignited massive papier-mâché sculptures of Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin, among other world leaders.
It’s all part of the Fallas Festival, a five-day spectacular held every year that culminates in the burning of giant monuments featuring “ninots” — caricatures of controversial public figures — after they’ve been displayed in the streets.
There’s a decidedly anti-war theme at this year’s event — even though the Iran war figureheads are accompanied by the festival’s usual mix of cartoon characters, religious figures and TV hosts.
A falla featuring Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at the feet of the devil. (Reuters: Eva Manez)
Donald Trump, in a nurse’s costume, holds a baby Benjamin Netanyahu, who holds a toy gun. (Reuters: Eva Manez)
A float featuring Donald Trump astride a missile is burned in the street. (Reuters: Eva Manez)
Firefighters extinguish a float as the Fallas Festival comes to a close. (Reuters: Eva Manez)
6h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 2:25am
UAE arrests members of Iran-linked ‘terrorist network’: state media
UAE authorities have arrested at least five members of a “terrorist network” linked to Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, state media is reporting.
The alleged network had “sought to infiltrate the national economy and carry out external schemes threatening the country’s financial stability”, the official WAM news agency said, citing the UAE State Security Apparatus.
Reporting with AFP
6h agoFri 20 Mar 2026 at 2:16am
Qatari, Egyptian leaders want to avoid expansion of Middle East conflict
The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has met with Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Doha — at Qatar’s international airport, in fact.
Egypt’s President Sisi, left, with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. (Reuters via QNA: Amiri Diwan)
Iran has been striking Qatari oil and gas facilities since Israel’s attack on the South Pars gas field on Wednesday, in line with its tactic of retaliating against Gulf countries, rather than just Israel, to ratchet up pressure on the US and Israel to end the war.
Qatar and Egypt are in lock-step regarding the war with Iran, calling on regional and international bodies to work harder to de-escalate the situation, and rejecting any unilateral military actions that could expand the scope of the conflict, according to the state-run Qatar News Agency.
Sisi is currently on a tour of the Middle East, having flown in from the nearby UAE, where he met the president on Thursday.