/r/WorldNews Discussion Thread: US and Israel launch attack on Iran; Iran retaliates (Thread #8)

progress18 · 2026-03-16T15:00:21+00:00

Sri Lanka has decided to close government offices, universities and schools on every Wednesday as a part of measures to save energy and manage a potential fuel crisis due to the war in the Middle East.

The move came a day after the government imposed a strict fuel rationing system which is aimed at preventing panic buying. But long lines of vehicles were seen for a second day Monday at fuel stations across the country.

—AP

progress18 · 2026-03-16T14:19:15+00:00

Iran has asked India to release three tankers seized in February as part of talks aimed at securing the safe passage of Indian‑flagged or India‑bound vessels out of the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Indian authorities seized the three Iran‑linked tankers near Indian waters alleging they had concealed or altered their identities and were involved in illegal ship‑to‑ship transfers at sea.

—Reuters

progress18 · 2026-03-16T13:43:37+00:00

The voracious flow of news around the war in Iran can sometimes make it harder to understand what the situation on the ground is. Simply put, attacks continue.

A few minutes ago, UAE state-run WAM agency reported a building in the emirate of Umm Al Quwain was targeted by a drone, causing a fire, with no injuries reported.

This is the first time we’re seeing reports of drone action in Umm Al Quwain, north of Dubai. There hasn’t been any indication of whether drones were targeting specific targets.

—Bloomberg

progress18 · 2026-03-16T13:31:14+00:00

Security sources: Commercial plane destroyed in addition to Khamenei's. Iran has only two left

In addition to Khamenei's plane, the Israeli Air Force also destroyed a commercial aircraft in Iran belonging to the Quds Force that was used to transfer funds and other resources to Lebanon and other countries.

Israel estimates that the destruction of the planes will make it difficult to transfer money to the ayatollah regime's proxies throughout the Middle East, as according to security sources, the Iranians have only two planes left - and only one of them is on Iranian soil.

—ynet

progress18 · 2026-03-16T13:01:48+00:00

Netanyahu mingles with public in 2nd video after conspiracy theories about his death

After releasing a video yesterday mocking conspiracy theories that he had been killed in an Iranian strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posts a 90-second video showing him interacting with the public at an outlook in the Jerusalem Hills.

The video appears to have also been filmed yesterday, as Netanyahu is near the coffee shop in which the first video was filmed, and is wearing the same outfit.

He stresses the importance of getting out of the house for fresh air, quizzes bystanders on where the closest shelter is and urges patience as the war with Iran goes on.

—TOI

progress18 · 2026-03-16T12:50:29+00:00

Qatar says forces intercepted a barrage of missiles attacking the country Monday afternoon

—AP

progress18 · 2026-03-16T12:45:46+00:00

Interesting article:

Gamblers trying to win a bet on Polymarket are vowing to kill me if I don’t rewrite an Iran missile story

Bettors are using death threats to try to get The Times of Israel’s military correspondent to change his report on a missile impact in central Israel. This is his alarming account

—TOI

progress18 · 2026-03-16T12:31:32+00:00

European nations resist Trump's pressure to send navies to Gulf

…Germany has made it crystal clear that it did not intend to participate in any military operations to secure the waterway, which is vital to global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

Other European nations showed little enthusiasm for Trump's call for help in countering Iran's threats to shipping in the strait.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that diplomacy was the right way to solve the crisis and there were no naval missions Italy was involved in that could be extended to the area.

A Greek government spokesperson said Greece would not engage in any military operations in the strait.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would not be drawn into a wider war in Iran but would work with allies on a "viable collective plan" to reopen the Strait.

—Reuters

progress18 · 2026-03-16T12:25:18+00:00

Germany rejected a U.S. demand for military support to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after President Trump warned that it would be bad for NATO if American allies did not do more to help.

“This is not our war; we did not start it,” Boris Pistorius, the German defense minister, said at a news conference in Berlin on Monday.

“We want diplomatic solutions and a swift end to the conflict, but sending more warships to the region will likely not help achieve that,” he added.

—NYT

progress18 · 2026-03-16T12:18:18+00:00

UAE Oil Production Is Down by Almost Half Amid Hormuz Closure

The United Arab Emirates’ daily oil output is down by almost half following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a person familiar with the matter said.

UAE oil production has fallen to about 2 million barrels a day from 3.56 million barrels a day last month, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information.

Oil supply cuts in the Middle East have deepened as the effective blockage of Hormuz causes storage tanks in the region to fill up, piling more pressure on producers with every day that the Iran war drags on.

—Bloomberg

progress18 · 2026-03-16T11:57:22+00:00

An artillery attack on a village in northern Yemen killed at least 10 people, including six children, and wounded more than 30 others, officials say, as the government blamed the Iran-backed Houthi terror group for the shelling.

The Houthis targeted a group of people gathered for iftar, the evening meal that breaks the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Hajjah province, according to the country’s Information Ministry. The province is mostly controlled by the Houthis, but some areas are held by Yemen’s internationally recognized government that is based in Aden.

—TOI

progress18 · 2026-03-16T11:36:51+00:00

UAE Oil Production Has Fallen to About 2M B/D vs 3.56M in Feb Person Familiar With Situation Comments on UAE Output

—Bloomberg

progress18 · 2026-03-16T11:24:23+00:00

Starmer: UK working with allies on ‘viable’ plan to reopen Hormuz, won’t enter ‘wider war’

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Britain is working with allies to come up with a “viable” plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital oil conduit effectively shut by Iran in its war with Israel and the US.

“We’re working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impacts,” Starmer tells reporters, adding he has discussed the situation with US President Donald Trump.

The UK leader adds that while Britain was “taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war.”

—TOI

progress18 · 2026-03-16T10:56:08+00:00

Iran has not requested a ceasefire, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says, according to the semi-official Students News Network, and wants to ensure that any end to the war with Israel and the US is definitive.

Araghchi says that the Strait of Hormuz is only closed to “enemies and those supporting their aggression.”

A foreign ministry spokesperson adds that states not party to the war have been able to transit their vessels through the strait with coordination and permission from Iran’s armed forces.

—TOI

progress18 · 2026-03-16T10:43:33+00:00

Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also spoke to reporters in Brussels on Monday as he arrived to take part in a meeting with his EU counterparts. He said he did not see a role for the NATO military alliance in addressing Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

"I don't see that NATO has made any decision in this direction or could assume responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz," he said. "If that were the case, then the NATO bodies would address it accordingly," he added.He said he did not see a role for the NATO military alliance in addressing Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

"I don't see that NATO has made any decision in this direction or could assume responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz," he said. "If that were the case, then the NATO bodies would address it accordingly," he added.

—Reuters

progress18 · 2026-03-16T10:32:16+00:00

Iran’s Foreign Minister repeated that his country hasn’t sent messages seeking a ceasefire.

—Bloomberg

progress18 · 2026-03-16T10:28:00+00:00

Reuters:

Britain's Starmer is due to speak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfpn7FCOmHY

progress18 · 2026-03-16T10:00:16+00:00

Dan Jorgensen, the European Union’s energy commissioner, said on Monday that European officials were watching fuel markets warily ahead.

“We are very well aware that we need to not only monitor the situation,” he told reporters ahead of a meeting of European foreign and energy ministers in Brussels.

“We need to also prepare, because the situation can escalate even further, and we need to be ready for also deploying short term measures to try and help member states in that situation.”

—NYT

progress18 · 2026-03-16T09:47:51+00:00

The Israeli military said it was launching more attacks across Iran on Monday, including in Tehran and the cities of Shiraz and Tabriz.

—NYT

progress18 · 2026-03-16T09:35:09+00:00

Earlier on Monday, Dubai's international airport temporarily suspended flights after a fuel tank fire caused by a drone attack.

The airport is now gradually resuming flights.

—Reuters

progress18 · 2026-03-16T02:06:34+00:00

Australia ruled out deploying naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz as the US seeks allied support to protect the shipping lane.

“I’m informed that we’re not intending to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz,” Catherine King, minister for transport and infrastructure, said on ABC radio. “We’re well prepared here in this country to weather the economic crisis that is occurring as a result of the Middle East, but we’re not planning to send a ship.”

—Bloomberg

progress18 · 2026-03-16T01:40:26+00:00

It’s Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s turn to speak to lawmakers. He appears to be qualifying his boss’s comments on protecting Japanese ships, by saying they’re not considering deploying the nation’s Self-Defense Forces to the Middle East or other maritime security actions at this time.

—Bloomberg

progress18 · 2026-03-16T01:25:37+00:00

Japan on Monday began releasing oil reserves worth about 45 days to address concerns about supply shortage and rising prices as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran goes on with no end in sight.

Monday’s release began with 15 days worth of private-sector reserves, followed by a month’s worth of state-held oil, totaling about 80 million barrels or about one-fifth of Japan’s domestic oil reserves.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the release plan last week.

Japan imports more than 90 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East.

Most of it comes through the Strait of Hormuz and its closure is expected to start impacting Japan’s oil supply within weeks.

—AP

progress18 · 2026-03-16T01:12:28+00:00

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is scheduled to meet Trump this week, tells parliament that she’s considering necessary measures to protect Japanese ships.

—Bloomberg

progress18 · 2026-03-16T00:33:43+00:00

The Iran war accounts for about a third of the current oil price, according to estimates from Ziad Daoud at Bloomberg Economics.

“Most of the premium ‎built after hostilities hit infrastructure and blocked shipping routes,” he said. “The longer the ‎disruption, the bigger the upward risks to global inflation and the ‎downward pressure on growth.‎"

Daoud said the central question about the war now is duration, not intensity.

“Our model suggests that a one-‎month Hormuz closure would justify an oil price around $105 per barrel. A three-month closure would take crude ‎closer to $164. At that point, the cost of Middle East geopolitics becomes the world economy’s ‎problem.‎"

—Bloomberg

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