Iran US Israel War Live Updates: UK, France, Among 6 Nations Ready To Contribute To Safe Passage In Strait of Hormuz, Condemn Iran

In a high-level phone call on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the rapidly escalating West Asian conflict. Sa'ar underscored the "special strategic partnership" between the two nations and briefed India on Israel's military responses to the Iranian regime.

A major focus of the briefing was what Israel described as "naval terrorism" by Tehran, specifically referring to the disruption of shipping and infrastructure in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Saudi Defense Ministry confirmed the successful interception and destruction of three drones targeting the eastern region today. This follows a separate security breach in the port city of Yanbu, where a drone struck the Samref refinery. Additionally, Saudi military units intercepted a ballistic missile aimed directly at Yanbu Port, preventing further damage to the kingdom’s critical maritime infrastructure.

تحدثتُ مع أخي صاحب السمو الشيخ تميم بن حمد آل ثاني، أمير دولة قطر، ونقلتُ إليه وإلى الشعب القطري خالص تهاني العيد.

وجددتُ التأكيد على وقوفنا تضامناً مع قطر، وإدانتنا الشديدة للهجمات التي استهدفت البنية التحتية للطاقة في المنطقة.

وأعربتُ عن امتناني لما تقدمه دولة قطر من رعاية…, — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 19, 2026

Japan's Prime Minister emphasised to President Trump that he possesses the unique influence necessary to restore stability and achieve lasting peace amid current global conflicts.

US President Trump stated that he has instructed Prime Minister Netanyahu to cease targeting oil and gas installations, asserting that the Israeli leader will comply with the request moving forward.

A missile strike on the Haifa oil refinery resulted in a single injury on Thursday, according to emergency responders. While the attack caused localised disruptions, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen reassured the public that utility teams are working rapidly, with electricity expected to be fully restored to affected areas shortly.

In a formal statement on Thursday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for launching strikes against two of Israel’s primary energy hubs: the Haifa and Ashdod oil refineries. This announcement marks a significant escalation in the IRGC's direct targeting of Israeli industrial infrastructure.

President Donald Trump clarified on Thursday that he has no intentions of "putting troops anywhere" in response to the escalating conflict in West Asia. When questioned directly by reporters regarding potential military deployments to the Middle East, the President dismissed the idea, signaling a preference for non-interventionist measures.

In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, the CEO of QatarEnergy revealed that Iranian attacks have successfully disabled 17 per cent of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capabilities. The disruption is projected to drain approximately USD 20 billion from annual revenues, sparking urgent concerns regarding energy security for major importers across Europe and Asia.

A coalition of global powers, including the UK, France, Japan, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands has issued a joint condemnation of recent Iranian strikes on unarmed commercial ships and civilian energy infrastructure. The group specifically highlighted the "de facto closure" of the Strait of Hormuz as a critical threat to international stability.

In response to these disruptions, these nations have signaled their readiness to support maritime security operations. They expressed a formal commitment to ensuring safe passage through the Strait and welcomed the collaborative strategic planning currently underway by international partners.

A missile strike targeted the Bazan Group oil refinery in Haifa today, resulting in one minor injury according to Magen David Adom, Israel's emergency medical service.

Despite the strike, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen confirmed that critical infrastructure remains largely intact. Cohen noted that while some areas experienced brief outages, electricity has already been restored to the majority of affected homes.

According to the monitoring organisation NetBlocks, Iran is now enduring its longest-ever internet shutdown. This current blackout has entered its 20th day, officially overtaking the previous record set during the January protests

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, stated that the recent Iranian attacks on liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure serve as undeniable evidence that Tehran’s aggression extends beyond US targets.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday did not provide any timeline for ending the conflict in the Middle East.

Hegseth said that it would be 'Trump's choice' to decide on whether the United States has achieved its security objectives.

An explosion was heard near Iraq's Erbil Airport on Thursday, news agency AFP reported. The Erbil Airport, which also serves as a US base, has reportedly been a target of Iranian drone strikes since the beginning of the US-Iran war.

The United States may soon remove sanctions on Iranian oil currently stranded on tankers, aiming to boost global supply and ease rising prices, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday.

"In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water. It's about 140 million barrels," Bessent was quoted as saying in Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria" program.

US secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Thursday said that Iran's ability to produce new ballistic missiles was likely hit the hardest in the recent US strikes, Reuters reported.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday condemned the Iranian strike on Qatar’s gas facility, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Starmer wrote, "I condemn in the strongest terms the overnight Iranian strike on a Qatari gas facility."

“We are working towards a swift resolution to the situation in the Middle East, in the best interests of the British people – because there is no question that ending the war is the quickest way to reduce the cost of living,” Starmer added.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday condemned recent attacks against energy infrastructure in the Gulf region, calling them unacceptable.

"India had previously called for the avoidance of targeting civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

"Recent attacks against energy installations in different locations across this region are therefore deeply disturbing and only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy scenario for the whole world. Such attacks are unacceptable and need to cease," he added.

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Our response to media queries regarding attacks against energy infrastructure in the Gulf region in the last few days ⬇️

🔗 https://t.co/sgSkthfInQ pic.twitter.com/rLtYKOHznu, — Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 19, 2026

Oil giant Saudi Aramco's SAMREF refinery in the Red Sea port of Yanbu was hit in an aerial attack on Thursday after similar attacks on energy facilities in Qatar and the UAE. The energy facility, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and ExxonMobil, sustained only impact, an industry source told Reuters.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that around 280,000 people have returned to India from West Asia since February 28. This comes amid evolving airspace restrictions and operational challenges due to the escalating conflict in the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, disccusing evolving situation in West Asia and the urgent need for de-escalation, as well as a return to dialogue and diplomacy.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, "Spoke with my dear friend, President Emmanuel Macron, on the situation in West Asia and the urgent need for de-escalation, as well as a return to dialogue and diplomacy. We look forward to continuing our close coordination to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond."

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PM Narendra Modi tweets, "Spoke with my dear friend, President Emmanuel Macron, on the situation in West Asia and the urgent need for de-escalation, as well as a return to dialogue and diplomacy. We look forward to continuing our close coordination to advance peace and stability… pic.twitter.com/aqffrB74PJ, — ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2026

Oman on Thursday condemned attacks on energy facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, Oman's state news agency reported.

The country, which was previously mediating talks between the United States and Iran, urged nations to refrain from targeting civilian infrastructure and emphasised the importance of adhering to international law, Reuters reported.

Oil loadings at the port of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia were halted on Thursday, according to news agency Reuters. The disruption comes after the country’s defence ministry said its air defence systems intercepted a ballistic missile over the city. Earlier in the day, a drone also crashed at the SAMREF refinery, where an assessment of the damage is currently underway.

Israel Iran War Live Updates: Kuwait ⁠Petroleum Corporation said one of the operational units ‌at ⁠the ‌Mina al-Ahmadi ⁠refinery was hit on Thursday ‌by a drone, ‌resulting in a limited fire, reports said.

The refinery is one of the biggest in the Middle East, with a petroleum production capacity of 730,000 barrels per day.,

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An aerial attack on the SAMREF refinery of oil giant Saudi Aramco in the Red Sea town of Yanbu on Thursday had little effect, Reuters reported. SAMREF, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Exxon Mobil, was among the oil sites in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar that received an evacuation notice from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Thursday.

Due to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway it shares with Oman and through which a fifth of the world's oil supply typically passes, Yanbu is currently the only export destination for any crude oil coming from Gulf Arab nations. An email requesting comment was not immediately answered by Saudi Aramco.

Iran-Israel War Live Updates: As the battle with Iran heats up, the United States is thinking about deploying thousands more troops to the Middle East, Reuters reported.,

Reuters exclusively reports that the US is considering sending thousands more troops to the Middle East as the conflict with Iran intensifies https://t.co/PJlrxSTQVh pic.twitter.com/SUPyx3Hp9o, — Reuters (@Reuters) March 19, 2026

Iranian Security Chief Ali Larijani, the commander of the Basij unit Gholamreza Soleimani, and others who perished on the Dena naval vessel were all bid farewell by thousands of people in Tehran's streets.

#WATCH | Thousands of people in the streets of Tehran bid farewell to those who lost their lives on Dena naval vessel and to Iranian Security Chief Ali Larijani and the commander of the Basij unit Gholamreza Soleimani, who were killed in the US-Israel strike.

Source: IRIB via… pic.twitter.com/3gb0o6jfWV, — ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2026

Iran-Israel War Live Updates: The US lacks the commercial maritime base needed to sustain military sealift in a crisis, Pentagon and maritime officials told lawmakers, warning that decades of decline in shipbuilding, cargo access, and fleet capacity have left a critical logistics gap.

Testifying before a joint congressional hearing on mobility readiness, Maritime Administrator Steve Kamall said the problem was structural and long-standing. “The United States is not experiencing a temporary maritime downturn. We are confronting the cumulative effects of a long-term structural disengagement from the global maritime system,” he said.

Iran-Israel War Live Updates:Peace talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine are on pause amid the Iran war, Izvestia reported on Thursday, citing Russian officials.

Izvestia said the Kremlin had confirmed the pause and that the Iran war could push Kyiv towards compromise

Iran-Israel War Live Updates: Saudi Arabia has not ruled out military action in response to repeated missile and drone attacks from Iran, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting in Riyadh of foreign ministers from the region, Prince Faisal said that Iran "tries to pressure its neighbours" with attacks.

Israel Iran War Live Updates: The Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah said on Wednesday ‌it ⁠would suspend ⁠attacks on the US embassy for five days with conditions. The conditions ⁠listed by ‌the group in a ⁠statement included Israel's halt of displacing and striking residents of Beirut's southern suburbs and ‌a commitment to not shelling residential ⁠areas in Baghdad and other provinces.

Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated on Thursday that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out taking military action in response to Iran's frequent missile and drone attacks.

After regional foreign ministers met in Riyadh, Prince Faisal told reporters that Iran "tries to pressure its neighbours" with attacks.He declared, "We have reserved the right to take military action if deemed necessary. The kingdom is not going to give in to pressure, and on the contrary, this pressure will backfire."

Israel Iran War Live Updates: According to a report from The Washington Post, U.S. officials have discovered a string of unidentified drone incursions over an Army base in the Washington area that houses several high-ranking government officials, including Senator Marco Rubio and Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth.

"Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, UAE, held calls with a number of foreign ministers including India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to discuss the latest regional developments in light of Iran’s continued unprovoked and terrorist missile attacks targeting the UAE and several countries in the region," the ministry of foreign affairs of the UAE said in a press release.

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that Washington could “massively blow up” the South Pars gas field if Tehran launches further attacks on Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, as the widening Middle East conflict increasingly threatens global energy supplies. ,

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Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, has called on Tehran to quickly "recalculate" its policy and warned Iran that its attacks on his nation and those of neighboring Gulf states will not be tolerated.

Despite denials from Tehran's diplomats, the foreign minister warned at a news conference early on Thursday that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have "very significant capacities and capabilities" that could be used should they "choose to do so." Iran had meticulously planned its strategy for attacking regional neighbors.

According to QatarEnergy, a number of its LNG facilities were the target of missile assaults in the early hours of Thursday, resulting in "sizeable fires" and significant damage. It stated that emergency reaction teams were sent out right away to contain the damage and that no injuries had been reported.

Iranian missiles had already targeted the Ras Laffan Industrial City, according to Qatar's defense minister. The largest LNG producer in the world, QatarEnergy, claimed that the attack resulted in "extensive damage" to their Pearl GTL (gas-to-liquids) facility.

The Abu Dhabi Media Office said early on Thursday morning in the Middle East that debris from missile interceptions had caused accidents at the Bab oil field and the Habshan gas facility. One of the biggest gas processing facilities in the world has ceased operations. According to the media office, no injuries were recorded. In a statement, the foreign ministry of the United Arab Emirates denounced the incident, describing it as "a dangerous escalation" and a threat to regional stability and security.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operation, which monitors maritime security, reported on Wednesday night that a "unknown projectile" struck a ship 11 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan, a coastal city in the Emirates, resulting in an onboard fire.

The FBI is investigating ex National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent — who resigned this week over the Trump administration's handling of the war with Iran — in connection with alleged leaks of classified information, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the incident, CBS News reported.