LiveIran hits Qatar energy hub, targets Saudi Arabia after Israeli attack on its largest gas field
10:00
Genting Dream, Star Voyager passengers to pay fuel surcharges from March 20 amid Iran war
Those going on a cruise on the Genting Dream or the Star Voyager will have to pay a surcharge of $15 per person each night as a result of rising fuel costs amid the Middle East conflict.
The surcharge will apply to new bookings made on or after March 20, said cruise operators StarCruises and Dream Cruises in separate statements on March 17. It is applicable to guests aged two and above.
The operators, which are under the StarDream Cruises brand, said: “Due to recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East, oil prices have increased significantly, leading to higher fuel and related costs.”
They added that the surcharge is determined based on the operating requirements of each ship and itinerary, and may therefore vary across their fleets.
The surcharge applies to Genting Dream sailings leaving from Singapore and neighbouring homeports and to Star Voyager sailings leaving from Singapore and Port Klang, Malaysia.
PHOTO: DREAM CRUISES/FACEBOOK
09:40
Cambodia turns to Singapore, Malaysia for fuel as Vietnam, China restrict supplies
Cambodia is importing more fuel from suppliers in Singapore and Malaysia to make up for supply shortfalls from Vietnam and China, its energy minister told Reuters on Wednesday, as the US-Israeli war on Iran squeezes fuel availability globally.
About a third of the 6,300 petrol stations in the country of nearly 18 million people closed last week due to uncertainty over the impact of the conflict on fuel prices, but only 5.77 per cent are closed currently, Energy Minister Keo Rottanak said.
Vietnam and China have restricted fuel exports until at least the end of March to arrest potential domestic shortages. Cambodia and neighbouring Thailand stopped fuel trade after the onset of an armed conflict in July.
09:00
US weighs military reinforcements as Iran war enters possible new phase
US President Donald Trump’s administration is considering deploying thousands of US troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the US military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran, said a US official and three people familiar with the matter.
The deployments could help provide Mr Trump with additional options as he weighs expanding US operations, with the Iran war well into its third week.
Those options include securing safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a mission that would be accomplished primarily through air and naval forces, the sources said. But securing the strait could also mean deploying US troops to Iran's shoreline, said four sources, including two US officials.
The Trump administration has also discussed options to send ground forces to Iran’s Kharg Island, the hub for 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports, the three people familiar with the matter and three US officials said.
PHOTO: REUTERS
08:45
Britain looks to provide more support to Gulf allies amid Iranian attacks
Britain said it was working to provide more support for its partners in the Gulf who are under attack from Iran, as it announced plans to buy extra missiles to protect the region.
Britain's fighter jets and other forces have been helping shoot down Iranian drones, and one of its warships is heading to the eastern Mediterranean, although the government has been criticised for not being able to send it sooner.
The British RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus was hit by an Iranian-made drone on March 1, but HMS Dragon did not depart until March 10, leading to scrutiny of Britain's military readiness.
Britain, which also has a military presence in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere, said it would order further Lightweight Multirole Missiles from Thales UK in Belfast to supply its forces as well as partners in the region, and said it would also provide them with training in Britain.
"Lightweight Multirole Missiles have already proven highly capable for air defence in the Middle East," a statement from the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.
08:15
Iran's government appears intact, if degraded, US spy chief says
Iran’s government has been degraded since the war began on Feb 28, but it appears to be intact and Tehran and its proxies remain capable of attacking US and allies’ interests in the Middle East, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Wednesday.
“The regime in Iran appears to be intact, but largely degraded by Operation Epic Fury,” Ms Gabbard said, referring to the US-Israel military campaign against Iran, in her opening statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on Worldwide Threats to the United States.
“Even so, Iran and its proxies remain capable of and continue to attack the US and allied interests in the Middle East. If a hostile regime survives, it will seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its missiles and UAV (drone) forces,” Ms Gabbard said.
PHOTO: EPA
07:45
First Iranian attack to kill Palestinians hits West Bank, 3 women dead
Three Palestinian women were killed in an Iranian missile attack in the occupied West Bank late on Wednesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, in the first deadly Iranian strike there, and the first to kill Palestinians, since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The missile struck a hair salon in the town of Beit Awwa, south-west of Hebron, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency WAFA reported. Thirteen people were wounded, one of them seriously.
The Israeli military said it understood the strike was caused by a cluster munition, a warhead that splits into tiny bomblets that scatter into a disparate area.
PHOTO: REUTERS
07:17
Trump opposes further strikes on Iranian energy sites after Israel hits South Pars: WSJ
US President Donald Trump does not want any further strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure after Israel’s attack on the South Pars gas field on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.
Mr Trump, who knew about the Israeli strike on South Pars in advance, supported it as a message to Tehran over its blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, and could again be open to targeting more Iranian energy facilities depending on Tehran’s future actions in the waterway, the Journal said.
But, according to the Journal’s report, the US president could be open to targeting more Iranian energy facilities, depending on whether Tehran impedes traffic in the critical waterway, Guardian reported.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
06:34
Oil extends gains to rise 5.6% after Iran attacks Gulf energy facilities
Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday and climbed further in extended trade after Iran attacked several energy facilities across the Middle Eastfollowing a strike on its South Pars gas field, a major escalation in its war with the US and Israel.
Brent futures were up 5.6 per cent in post-settlement trading, extending gains after settling up 3.8 per cent at $107.38. US West Texas Intermediate crude extended gains to 4 per cent after closing up 11 cents, or 0.1 per cent, at $96.32.
WTI futures had settled at their widest discount to Brent in 11 years, as the U.S. benchmark was pressured by higher supply through a release from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve and rising freight costs. Brent futures, meanwhile, were buoyed by fresh attacks on Middle Eastern energy facilities.
PHOTO: EPA
06:20
QatarEnergy reports 'extensive damage' after missile attacks on Ras Laffan
Qatar’s state oil giant QatarEnergy said on Wednesday that Iranian missile attacks on Ras Laffan, the site of the country’s core LNG processing operations, caused “extensive damage”.
“Emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the resulting fires,” the world’s second-largest LNG exporter said in a statement. No casualties were reported and all personnel were accounted for, it said.
Qatar’s interior ministry earlier said the fire was preliminarily brought under control, with no injuries reported.
Ras Laffan, located 80 km north of Doha, is an energy-industry hub and hosts several international companies.
PHOTO: REUTERS
06:13
Iran threatens energy targets throughout Gulf after its Pars gas field hit
Iran’s huge Pars gas field was hit on Wednesday, a major escalation in the US-Israeli war, prompting Tehran to announce it would respond with attacks on oil and gas targets throughout the Gulf.
Pars is the Iranian sector of the world’s largest natural gas deposit, which Iran shares with Qatar across the Gulf.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported that gas tanks and parts of a refinery had been hit, workers had been evacuated to a safe location and emergency crews were trying to put out a fire.
The attack was widely reported in Israeli media to have been carried out by Israel with US consent, though neither country acknowledged immediate responsibility.
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