4h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 12:23amWhat you need to know
18m agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
‘Crunch time’ for fuel supply on its way to Australia
Australia is yet to directly feel the impact of oil supply shortages caused by the US-Israel war on Iran.
But that’s set to change in the coming weeks, writes ABC’s Will Jackson, with the country’s fuel suppliers in Asia now being affected.
With only two domestic refineries still operating, Australia gets more than 80 per cent of its petrol, diesel and jet fuel from overseas.
Almost all of this is supplied by refineries in Asia — particularly South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and China — and these countries get on average about 60 to 70 per cent of their crude oil from the Middle East, mostly via the now mostly impassable Strait of Hormuz.
Australia’s position at the end of the fuel supply chain makes it vulnerable, experts say, as “crunch time” begins.
Read the full story here:
48m agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 4:00am
Japan to consider minesweeping in the Strait of Hormuz if ceasefire reached
Japan could consider deploying its military for minesweeping in the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire is reached in the US-Israeli war on Iran, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.
“If there were to be a complete ceasefire, hypothetically speaking, then things like minesweeping could come up,” Motegi said.
“This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and naval mines were creating an obstacle, then I think that would be something to consider.”
Toshimitsu Motegi. (Reuters: Vincent Thian)
Tokyo has no immediate plans to seek arrangements to allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz for stranded Japanese vessels, Motegi said.
He added that it was “extremely important” to create conditions that allow all ships to navigate through the narrow waterway, the conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil shipments.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Japan’s Kyodo news agency yesterday that he had spoken to Motegi about potentially letting Japanese-related vessels pass through the strait.
Reporting with Reuters
1h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 3:30am
How does the Middle East war play into China’s hands?
As conflict rages in the Middle East, global markets reel, yet China’s strategic foresight could turn a crisis into an advantage.
Roughly half of China’s crude oil importsand a third of its LNG imports come through the Strait of Hormuz, so there’s no doubt that China is feeling somewhat vulnerable.
However, ABC finance journalist Alan Kohler reveals how Beijing’s early drive towards renewable energy and electrification is now paying off.
Unpack it with us here:
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1h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 3:06am
WATCH: The moment an Iranian missile hits Dimona, Israel
Civilians have captured the moments an Iranian ballistic missile hit the southern Israeli city of Dimona late on Saturday.
The strikes injured dozens of people, including children.
We’ve clipped together multiple different angles of the strike here:Â
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2h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 2:47am
📷Iranian missile barrages struck residential buildings in Arad
Earlier we reported that an Iranian missile hit in the Israeli city of Arad, injuring more than 70 people.
IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said that Israel’s air defence systems had operated but did not intercept the missile.
He said the military is investigating to understand what happened but added that it’s not a matter of a different or special type of missile.
(Reuters: Ronen Zvulun)
(Reuters: Ronen Zvulun)
(Reuters: Ilan Assayag)
2h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 2:26am
Iran pledges tit-for-tat retaliation following Trump’s threats
We have a little more information coming through on Iran’s threat to strike US and Israeli infrastructure.
“Following previous warnings, if Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is violated by the enemy, all energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and the regime in the region will be targeted,” the Iranian military’s operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by Fars news agency.
The statement comes after US President Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to open the vital Strait of Hormuz route in the Gulf to shipping traffic after it was effectively closed in response to the war.
Reporting with AFP
2h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 2:01am
Saudia Arabia intercepts drones, Israel targets Tehran
The Saudi Ministry of Defence says it has intercepted and downed five drones over the Eastern Province within the past hour.
It also detected three missiles launched toward Riyadh, the country’s capital. One of the missiles was intercepted while the other two fell in an uninhabited area.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has “begun a wave of attacks” in Tehran, Iran’s capital.
3h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 1:40am
Israel closes schools, education minister says
All in-person classes in Israel scheduled for Sunday and Monday have been cancelled, Israeli education minister Yoav Kisch said on X.
He said that in light of the missile strikes in Dimona and Arad, “no face-to-face learning” would take place for the next two days, including special education classes.
Kisch added that a new situation assessment would be carried out before Tuesday to decide whether in-person schooling could resume.
3h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 1:16am
Israel says Arad and Dimona ‘devastated’ by missile strikes
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has posted on social media platform X that Iranian missile attacks on Arad and Dimona targeted civilian areas, injuring over 100 people, including children.
It says the strikes constitute a clear act of terrorism and a war crime.
Dimona is the home of Israel’s nuclear program in the Negev Desert.Â
Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, though its leaders neither confirm nor deny this.
Iran said it was targeting Dimona after the Natanz nuclear enrichment site was targeted earlier. Israel’s military said it was not responsible for striking Natanz.
3h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 12:53am
Iran issues warning against US energy infrastructures
Iran’s armed forces have warned all energy infrastructures belonging to the US in the region will be targeted if Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked, Iranian media is reporting.
This comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the country doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours — that’ll be 10:44am (AEDT) on Tuesday.
4h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 12:33am
Blast near vessel off UAE’s Sharjah, UKMTO says
An unknown projectile has struck near a vessel 15 nautical miles north of the United Arab Emirates’ Sharjah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said early on Sunday.
It said that all crew were reported safe.
4h agoSun 22 Mar 2026 at 12:17am
📷 Photos show destruction in Tehran
Joint US-Israeli strikes continued on Iran this morning.
These images show buildings damaged and rubble lining the streets in the country’s capital, Tehran.
Earlier, the IDF said it had carried out wide-scale air strikes in Tehran, targeting sites used to produce critical components for ballistic missiles and a complex belonging to the Ministry of Defence responsible for producing rocket fuel.
(Reuters: Alaa-Al-Marjani)
(Reuters: Alaa-Al-Marjani)
(Reuters: Alaa-Al-Marjani)4h agoSat 21 Mar 2026 at 11:58pmTrump gives Iran 48 hour deadline to open Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has just posted to Truth Social again saying that the US will “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the country doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz.
He has give Iran a 48-hour deadline.
Here is the post in full:
If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!
Iran has effective blocked the strait since the US and Israel attacks began, limiting access to one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints.
Yesterday, Australia signed on to a joint statement with other key allies asking Iran to ensure the safe passage of ships through the strait.
5h agoSat 21 Mar 2026 at 11:44pm’Iran wants to make a deal, I don’t,’ Trump says
In the last hour, US President Donald Trump has shared some new comments on Iran on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Trump said the US has “blown Iran off the map” and that they’re “weeks ahead of their schedule”.
He dismissed suggestions that he failed to achieve his goals in Iran, saying:
“Their leadership is gone, their navy and air force are dead, they have absolutely no defense and they want to make a deal. I don’t.”
(Truth Social: @realDonaldTrump)5h agoSat 21 Mar 2026 at 11:35pmSix fuel ships to Australia cancelled or deferred, though gap has been filled
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has confirmed that six fuel tankers that were scheduled to deliver oil to Australia next month have been cancelled or deferred.
He said there are about 74 other ships still expected to make it to Australia from mid-April to mid-May, and that while there may be “bumps” due to the war in Iran, supply is secure.
For more information, ABC senior political correspondent Jake Evans has the latest:
5h agoSat 21 Mar 2026 at 11:15pm
📷 Images show the aftermath of missiles hitting Arad
Iranian missile strikes wounded 75 people in the southern Israeli town of Arad on Saturday, including 10 seriously, medics said.
The attacks tore open the fronts of residential buildings and left large craters in the ground.
Hours earlier, 33 people were injured in nearby Dimona.
(Reuters: Ilan Assayag)
Israeli soldiers secured the scene after the missiles hit residential buildings in Arad.
(Reuters: Ilan Assayag)
Stretchers were laid out for the injured.
(Reuters: Ilan Assayag)
Reuters/AFP
5h agoSat 21 Mar 2026 at 10:55pm
A ‘game of chicken’ that Trump may have lost Analysis by Europe correspondent Kathryn Diss in Jerusalem
As global energy markets reeled, the debate over who knew what, and when, dominated the discourse.
US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to distance himself, lambasting Israel for “lashing out in anger” and denying any knowledge of the attack.
“NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL” he said, unless Iran decides to again attack a “very innocent” Qatar.
(Reuters: Brian Snyder)
Israeli officials disputed the claim that the US was in the dark over the attack, telling media that Washington was in fact informed before it took place.
One analyst, Yoel Guzansky from the Institute of National Security Studies at Tel Aviv university, went as far as to claim the US was actively involved.
“I know for a fact that it was co-ordinated with the Americans,” he said.
“Maybe it was about trying to test the waters, see what the Iranian response is, pressure them.
“This is a game of chicken and he [Donald Trump] lost.”
Both leaders — Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — then later awkwardly addressed the conjecture as they spoke to the press.
Asked about the Israeli strike on Thursday, local time, Trump said, “I told him, ‘Don’t do that!'” and he suggested that Netanyahu “won’t do that” again in future.
6h agoSat 21 Mar 2026 at 10:22pm
Netanyahu urges prayers for injured in ‘difficult evening’
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X that the attack on Dimona that injured about 30 people made for a “very difficult evening in the campaign for our future”.
The post translates to: “Just a short while ago, I spoke with the Mayor of Arad, Yair Maayan, and asked him to convey, on behalf of all Israeli citizens, our prayers for the peace of the injured.
“I have instructed the director-general of my office to provide all the necessary assistance together with all government ministries,” the post read.
“I strengthen the emergency and rescue forces operating in the field right now, and I call on everyone to heed the instructions of the Home Front Command.
 “We are determined to continue to strike our enemies on all fronts.”
6h agoSat 21 Mar 2026 at 9:55pm
Gulf states and energy markets become ‘soft belly’ of war
Analysis by Europe correspondent Kathryn Diss in Jerusalem
When Israel struck Iran’s biggest gas field in the Persian Gulf, its neighbour Qatar had a lot to lose.
Iran and Qatar jointly control the basin, each operating a share of the largest gas reserve in the world.
Tehran retaliated, as promised, and Qatar was right in the firing line.
Read more below: