Attacks on energy infrastructure and renewed missile exchanges intensify regional tensions and raise global economic concerns.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran launched drone strikes early Friday targeting a major Kuwaiti oil refinery while Israel carried out new strikes inside Tehran, marking a further escalation in a conflict that has entered its third week and disrupted energy markets across the region.
Kuwait reported that its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, one of the country’s primary oil-processing facilities with a capacity of roughly 730,000 barrels per day, was struck by Iranian drones, igniting a fire that emergency crews were working to contain. The facility had sustained damage in a separate attack the previous day. Kuwait operates three refineries and is a key oil producer in the Persian Gulf.
The strikes came as Iran intensified attacks on energy infrastructure across Gulf Arab states following Israeli airstrikes earlier in the week on Iran’s South Pars offshore natural gas field. South Pars, shared with Qatar, is the largest gas field in the world and supplies approximately 80 percent of Iran’s electricity generation.
Explosions were also reported over Dubai, where air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles as residents observed Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said debris from an intercepted projectile caused a fire at a warehouse, while Saudi Arabia reported that it had shot down multiple drones targeting its Eastern Province, a region central to its oil production.
The latest developments followed a wave of Iranian missile launches directed at Israel, including more than a dozen salvos after the South Pars strike. In Israel, warning sirens sounded in Jerusalem and northern areas early Friday, prompting civilians to seek shelter. No immediate casualties were reported from the latest round of attacks.
Shortly after Israel confirmed it had initiated additional strikes, explosions were heard in Tehran as the country marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Details on the targets and extent of damage were not immediately available.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Thursday that Israel would pause further strikes on the South Pars facility at the request of President Donald Trump, after Iran’s retaliatory actions contributed to a surge in global oil prices.
The conflict has also heightened concerns over maritime security, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic corridor through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Disruptions in the waterway have contributed to volatility in global energy markets.
Brent crude prices, which climbed above $119 per barrel during Thursday’s escalation, were trading near $107 on Friday morning, representing an increase of more than 47 percent since the conflict began on Feb. 28 following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Casualty figures have continued to rise across multiple regions. Iranian authorities report more than 1,300 deaths within the country. In Lebanon, Israeli operations targeting the Iran-backed Hezbollah group have displaced over 1 million people and resulted in more than 1,000 deaths, according to Lebanese officials, while Israel has said more than 500 Hezbollah militants have been killed.
Within Israel, officials reported 15 fatalities from Iranian missile attacks, along with four additional deaths in the West Bank attributed to a missile strike. At least 13 U.S. service members have also been killed during the conflict.
Separately, the United Arab Emirates announced it had disrupted what it described as a network linked to Hezbollah and Iran. Authorities said five individuals were arrested on allegations of money laundering under the cover of commercial operations, with officials stating the activity posed a threat to the country’s financial stability. Images of the suspects were released through the state-run WAM news agency, though identities were not disclosed.
The conflict continues to expand across multiple fronts, with sustained attacks on energy infrastructure, military targets, and economic networks contributing to rising regional instability and global market uncertainty.
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