Iran hit a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea and set Qatari liquefied natural gas facilities and two Kuwaiti oil refineries ablaze, sending international oil and gas prices soaring. Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked to as high as $118 a barrel, up more than 60% since Israel and the United States started the war with strikes on Iran.
President Donald Trump pledged the U.S. would “massively blow up the entirety” of the world’s largest gas field if Iran attacks Qatar again. Trump made his threat on social media against Iran’s South Pars natural gas field after Iranian missiles hit Qatar. The Iranian attack was in retaliation for an Israeli attack on the South Pars field earlier Wednesday.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said at least three people were killed in the occupied West Bank town of Beit Awa as Iran fired missiles toward Israel. At least 13 others were injured. More than 1,300 people in Iran have been killed during the war. Israeli strikes have displaced more than 1 million Lebanese — roughly 20% of the population — according to the Lebanese government, which says 968 people have been killed. In Israel, 14 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed.
The Italian foreign ministry said a flight carrying 30 tons of supplies, including kitchen sets, blankets, hygiene kits and jerry cans, landed in Beirut on Thursday to help ease the plight of families displaced by Israeli strikes.
The cargo is being delivered to the local office of the U.N. refugee agency, to be distributed to some 1,500 families and Lebanese communities.
Energy firm Shell PLC says it is assessing the damage after Iran launched attacks on Qatar.
Shell said it was looking at the damage at the Pearl gas-to-liquids plant at the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility after it was hit by Iranian missiles. It said all staff on site are safe after the attack.
“We are currently assessing any potential damage to Pearl GTL and working with Qatar Energy and the relevant authorities to understand the damage to the wider Ras Laffan Industrial City facilities,” it said.
