Main PointsThe limited amount of oil, gas and fertiliser making its way out of the Gulf will lead to “higher prices and slower growth worldwide”, the International Monetary Fund has warned.US president Donald Trump has threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s energy grid if ceasefire not reached “shortly”.Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Monday.Key Reads
Katie Mellett – 6 minutes ago
Public urged to ‘remain calm and follow the safety and security instructions’ amid missile and drone attacks in UAE
تتعامل حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع اعتداءات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة قادمة من ايران وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع أن الاصوات المسموعة في مناطق متفرقة من الدولة هي نتيجة تعامل منظومات الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية للصواريخ الباليستية، والجوالة والطائرات المسيرة.
UAE Air Defences system… pic.twitter.com/hDtes8Fvpj
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 31, 2026
In a post on X, when translated from Arabic, the United Arab Emirates ministry of defence said the missile and drone attacks originated from Iran and confirmed that the sounds heard in various parts of the country are the result of the UAE air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
It urged the public to remain calm and follow the safety and security instructions issued by relevant authorities.
It also said “do not approach, touch or photograph any debris or fragments that have fallen as a result of successful interceptions and allow relevant authorities to assess the situation.”
Katie Mellett – 20 minutes ago
Eight people injured by falling munitions fragments in Israel
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man assesses the damage inside a house following an Iranian strike over Bnei Brak in central Israel on March 31st, 2026. Photograph: Ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP via Getty Images
Israel’s emergency services said this morning that eight people with minor injuries were evacuated to hospitals in the Tel Aviv area, where police reported falling munitions fragments after an alert for incoming Iranian missiles.
Six of the injured were treated in the city of Bnei Brak, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service. – Guardian
Katie Mellett – 31 minutes ago
Iran warns of death penalty
People accused of spying or co-operating with “hostile states” could face the death penalty and confiscation of all assets under a recently enhanced law, an Iranian judiciary spokesperson said, a month into the war with the United States and Israel.
Even sharing photos or videos that could aid enemy targeting may be treated as intelligence co-operation, the spokesman added.
Iranian media have reported more than 1,000 arrests over the course of the month, related to individuals accused of filming sensitive locations, sharing anti-government content online, or “co-operating with the enemy”.
The judiciary spokesman said the legislation, passed last year, applies to operational, intelligence and certain media activities deemed to support hostile governments, notably the US and Israel.
He warned those creating “fear” through misinformation could face prison terms, with penalties increased in wartime.
He added that authorities have issued around 200 indictments in such cases and were working with security bodies to identify and seize assets linked to suspects, stressing that there would be no leniency in enforcing the law. – Reuters
Katie Mellett – 36 minutes ago
Italy denies US aircraft access to military base
Italy denied US military aircraft bound for the Middle East permission to land at a base in Sicily, newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Tuesday.
The move risks inflaming tensions with Washington, which has criticised European allies for not supporting its war with Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday the US may need to reassess its relationship with NATO after the war is over.
The US flight plan was submitted without authorisation or consultation with national authorities and was forwarded after US planes were already airborne, the newspaper reported, without saying how it obtained the information.
Italy’s military checks found the flights were not routine or for logistics purposes, hence outside existing bilateral agreements.
The flights therefore required approval and parliamentary oversight, Corriere said.
A representative for Italy’s defence minister wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Italy’s move came as other countries, such as Spain, closed airspace to American flights involved in the US military operation in Iran, expanding an effort to distance itself from the conflict.
Katie Mellett – 47 minutes ago
EU tells members to prepare for ‘prolonged disruption’ to energy markets from Iran war
European Union governments should prepare for a “prolonged disruption” to energy markets as a result of the Iran war, the bloc’s energy chief has told countries’ ministers ahead of an emergency meeting on Tuesday.
In a letter to ministers, seen by Reuters, EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen said while the fallout on Europe’s energy supplies is currently contained, governments are “encouraged to make timely preparations in anticipation of a potentially prolonged disruption”. – Reuters
Katie Mellett – 59 minutes ago
US-Israeli attack kills 11 people in Iran
A US-Israeli attack on the Iranian city of Mahallat last night killed 11 people and injured 15 others, the Tasnim news agency has cited a deputy security officer as having said.
Four residential units were “completely destroyed” in the attack, in which three children were killed, according to the report.
Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago
Role of Unifil mission ‘more important than ever,’ says Irish Defence Forces
Commandant Alex Quigley from the Defence Forces press office has said that the recent moves by Israel to cut off southern Lebanon from Beirut will not have an impact on the current rotation of Irish troops on Unifil duty and their deployment will conclude in May as planned, reports Vivienne Clarke.
While there may be restrictions on movement if Israel continues to destroy bridges across the River Litani, Irish troops had already proved they were more than capable of completing their rotation, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
Unifil has aviation and maritime forces that can assist in “movement and manoeuvrability” and the Irish Defence Forces have good equipment, he added.
The Irish troops had been well trained for this mission. “They’re where they need to be. They’re surrounded by very well-trained individuals who also are there.”
Quigley encouraged families of the troops to have comfort in the fact that “our highly professional soldiers are doing their job where they need to be for the eyes and ears for the international community.
“Our personnel are highly trained and highly prepared for these missions. So before they go, they undergo a three-month mission readiness exercise.
“What is happening right now is part of their job, and we have the force protection measures in place to mitigate against that risk.”
Apart from the “occasional disruption” to framework operations, the personnel of the 127th Infantry Battalion are patrolling every single day.
“If the volatility in the region does rise, they may go into bunkers, but that would only be for maybe like one hour, two hours at a time.”
The role of the Unifil mission was more important than ever now, he said, given the ongoing conflict.
Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago
Iranian parliamentary committee approves plan to impose tolls on Strait of Hormuz
Iranian state media reported that an Iranian parliamentary committee had approved a proposal to collect a toll on vessels travelling through the strait of Hormuz.
The strait will be closed to ships from the US, Israel and countries that have been involved in sanctioning Iran, according to a Telegram post from the Fars news agency, which said that Iran will have a “sovereign” role in the implementation of the new system.
The proposal, approved by Iran’s parliament security committee, would reportedly require agreement from other countries next to the strait.
It is not clear how much the toll on vessels will be.
The US president, Donald Trump, warned yesterday that if a deal was not struck with Iran – including to reopen the strait of Hormuz shipping lane – US forces would destroy “all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants)”.
The strait’s closure has sent global energy prices soaring, including in the US where residents are being hit hard by surging gas prices and farmers face higher fertiliser costs and falling commodity prices. – Guardian
Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago
The United Arab Emirates defence ministry said its defence systems are dealing with missile and drone threats from Iran.
Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago
Pakistani foreign minister to discuss Iran during China visit, Chinese ministry says
China’s foreign minister and his Pakistani counterpart will discuss the situation in Iran during the latter’s visit to China on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry said.
The two countries have similar positions on major international and regional issues, a spokesperson for the ministry said in a press briefing.
Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago
Two Chinese vessels successfully pass through Strait of Hormuz
A police speed boat patrols the port as oil tankers and high speed crafts sit anchored at Muscat Anchorage near the Strait of Hormuz on March 30th, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. Photograph: Elke Scholiers/Getty Images
Two container vessels belonging to the Chinese shipping giant Cosco have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz as they have exited the Gulf, ship tracking data indicates.
The two vessels were the CSCL Indian Ocean and the CSCL Arctic Ocean.
They passed close to the Iranian-controlled island of Larak and are bound for Port Klang in Malaysia.
Iran has effectively blocked the vital waterway but allowed a trickle of ships through from nations it deems “non-hostile”, such as Thailand, China, Pakistan and India. – Guardian
Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago
Israel reviewing deaths of Indonesian peacekeepers
Israel’s military said it was aware of the reports regarding the two incidents where three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed and they were being reviewed thoroughly to determine whether they resulted from the military’s activity or Hizbullah’s. – Guardian
Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago
Indonesia condemns attacks on its peacekeepers
Smoke rises from a village in southern Lebanon as a result of an Israeli strike, as seen from the Israeli side of the border in Kibbutz Dan, Upper Galilee, northern Israel, March 30th, 2026. Photograph: EPA
Indonesia’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it condemned the attacks in southern Lebanon on March 30th “in the strongest terms”, adding that they reflect the deteriorating security environment in the region.
It said that ongoing Israeli military operations have placed UN peacekeepers in Lebanon at grave risk.
The attacks over the weekend killed three Indonesians, the foreign ministry said.
Indonesia’s foreign minister has called for an emergency UN security council meeting and “for a swift, thorough and transparent investigation” into the “heinous attack”. – Reuters
Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia respond to drone and missile attacks
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it has intercepted and destroyed ten drones over the past hours and eight missiles launched towards the Riyadh area and eastern region.
Early this morning, Kuwait said its air defences were responding to hostile missile and drone attacks.
Neither Saudi Arabia or Kuwait said where the drones or missiles came from. – Guardian
Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago
Iran executes two men convicted of attack on government building
Iran executed two men convicted of links to the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran and involvement in multiple attacks, including firing launcher weapons at a government building, the judiciary news outlet reported on Tuesday.
On Monday, two other men linked to the same opposition group were executed. – Reuters
Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago
Macron due in Japan for talks dominated by Iran war 
France’s president Emmanuel Macron follows the coffin at the end of a national tribute to former French prime minister Lionel Jospin at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris on March 26th, 2026. Photograph: Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
French president Emmanuel Macron arrives in Japan on Tuesday for a visit that initially aimed to strengthen partnerships in nuclear energy and space innovation but will now be dominated by the Middle East war.
Macron will hold talks with prime minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday and “the crisis in the Middle East will be at the heart of discussions”, the Élysée Palace said ahead of the trip.
It added that the two leaders would discuss “how we can try to find common solutions”, reports Agence France-Presse.
Japan depends on the Middle East for 95 per cent of its oil imports and has had to dip into strategic stockpiles to temper the impact of rising fuel prices since the start of the war.
Economy and finance ministers of G7 countries, which include France and Japan, said on Monday they stood ready to take “all necessary measures” to ensure the stability of the energy market as they tackled the economic consequences of the war. – Guardian
Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago
Japan and Indonesia pledge deeper ties amid energy concerns
Japan and Indonesia have agreed to step up co-ordination on energy security, Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi said on Tuesday.
“In light of the Iran situation, the strategic importance of resources and energy security is once again being recognised globally. Indonesia is a major resource-rich nation,” Takaichi said alongside Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto after they met for talks in Tokyo.
The summit came as the US-Israeli war on Iran squeezes oil and gas supplies vital to Asia.
Indonesia is the world’s biggest exporter of thermal coal for power generation, supplying about half of global exports, Reuters reports.
It is also a major liquefied natural gas exporter, with roughly a quarter of its shipments bound for Japan. – Guardian
Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago
Israel finishes ‘another wave’ of strikes in Tehran 
The aftermath of Israeli-US airstrikes in Tehran, Iran, on Monday, March 30th, 2026. Photograph: Arash Khamooshi/The New York Times
The Israeli military says it has “just completed another wave of strikes” targeting Iranian regime infrastructure in the heart of Tehran.
The post on social media also said the military “continues to deepen the damage” to the infrastructure. – Guardian
Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago
Oil prices soar to record monthy increase
Oil prices were set for a record monthly rise on Tuesday while Asian shares were headed for their steepest fall in six years, capping a tumultuous month as the war in the Middle East stoked fears of higher inflation and slower growth.
Bonds were headed for their largest decline in months, owing to the hawkish sea change in the global outlook for interest rates, while the dollar was on the cusp of its strongest gain in eight months.
A month into the war, investors continue to be confronted by a barrage of headlines as tensions and attacks between the US, Israel and Iran escalate.
“It appears markets have gone from just mechanically trading headlines … into a little bit more of a fear mode, taking risk off the table,” said Vishnu Varathan, Mizuho’s head of macro research for Asia ex-Japan.
Markets turned a little more upbeat after the Wall Street Journal reported that US president Donald Trump told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.
Nasdaq futures were up 0.73 per cent and S&P 500 futures rose 0.84 per cent. EUROSTOXX 50 futures advanced 0.35 per cent, while DAX futures gained 0.48 per cent.
Brent crude futures pared gains and were last up 0.24 per cent at $113.05 a barrel, on track for a 56 per cent rise this month, the largest on record.
US crude was little changed at $102.98 a barrel, though it was still headed for a monthly rise of roughly 54 per cent, the most in nearly six years.
Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago
Why Donald Trump is like a child pulling the wings off flies
In his opinion column today, Fintan O’Toole addresses Donald Trump’s strategy against Iran. He writes that everyone with the slightest interest in the history of modern warfare knows that mass bombing doesn’t work.
“Short, sharp, decisive – this is the illusion that lured the present US president into his disastrous war on Iran,” writes O’Toole.
“The wide gap between ambition and outcome – this is the measure of his folly. That gap is an abyss into which human lives are hurled: as of last Sunday, according to the independent Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 236 children had been killed by US and Israeli bombing. But it is nonetheless a strategic void.”
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth looks on as US president Donald Trump speaks. Photograph: Jim Watson/Getty Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago
Four Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military said on Tuesday four soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon, where its forces are clashing with the Iran-backed Hizbullah.
An Israel Defence Forces statement named three soldiers from the same battalion who “fell during combat” and a separate statement said another soldier – who had not yet been publicly named – had died in the same incident, Agence France-Presse is reporting.
Another soldier was severely wounded and a reservist moderately wounded, a second statement said.
A destroyed apartment building that was struck in an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AP
Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago
Giant oil tanker off Dubai hit by Iranian strike
Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Monday, as Donald Trump warned the US would obliterate Iran’s energy plants and oil wells if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz.
The strike on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi is the latest in a string of assaults on merchant vessels by missiles or explosive air and sea drones in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
The month-long conflict has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands, disrupting energy supplies and threatening to send the global economy into a tailspin.
Crude oil prices briefly spiked anew after the attack on the tanker, which can carry around 2 million barrels of oil worth more than $200 million at current prices.
Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship’s owner, said the attack happened early on Tuesday, causing a fire and hull damage, but there were no reported injuries.
Authorities in Dubai later said they had been able to bring the fire under control following a drone attack on the tanker. No injuries have been reported, they said.