Breaking News:US Israel Iran war news LIVE: Brent crude tops $100 as Iran targets Hormuz ships; US to release oil reserves– What Just Happened

Middle East war LIVE: Australia’s Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Thursday that the government will temporarily amend the country’s fuel quality standards, allowing higher sulfur levels in fuel for the next 60 days. The move is intended as a short-term measure amid current pressures on fuel supply.

Middle East war LIVE: An Indian national has reportedly been killed in an attack carried out by Iran using a “suicide” boat against a US-linked oil tanker near Iraq.

The US-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Safesea Vishnu was attacked off the Khor Al Zubair port on Wednesday inside Iraq’s territorial waters by an Iranian “suicide” boat, sources told news agency PTI.

The Indian national, whose name has not yet been disclosed, was killed in the attack, while the remaining 27 crew members and personnel aboard the tanker were rescued and taken to Basra, the sources said.

Middle East war LIVE: A projectile struck a container ship near the United Arab Emirates, the UK maritime agency said on Thursday, as Iran continues a military campaign aimed at disrupting global markets by choking trade in the Gulf.

“The container ship was struck by (an) unknown projectile causing a small fire onboard,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in a statement, adding that the ship’s crew had been reported safe.

Middle East war LIVE: India, an Associate Member of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and an active participant in global energy cooperation, has welcomed the agency’s decision to release emergency oil stocks amid ongoing supply disruptions, according to an official release, according to news agency ANI.

The government said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation in global energy markets, particularly developments in the Middle East.

India also said it stands ready to take appropriate measures, if required, to support global market stability in line with the efforts of the International Energy Agency, the release added.

Middle East war LIVE: The Indian rupee weakened by 31 paise to 92.32 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday.

US Iran war news LIVE: The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Naval Force said vessels seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz must obtain Iran’s approval or risk being targeted.

Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said two ships that ignored Iran’s warnings were targeted in the strait on Wednesday.

“Were the ships assured of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz? This should be asked of the crews of the vessels Express Rome and Mayuree Naree, who today, trusting in empty promises, ignored the warnings and intended to cross the Strait, but were caught. Any vessel intending to pass must obtain permission from Iran,” the Iranian general said in a post on X.

US Iran war news LIVE: The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the master of a container ship reported it was struck by an unknown projectile, causing a small fire on board, Reuters reported.

UKMTO said all crew members were safe and no environmental impact had been reported at this time.

The agency added that it received the report of the incident about 35 nautical miles north of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates.

US Iran war news LIVE: Oil prices surged on Thursday while stocks fell after Iran struck two tankers in Iraq and warned it could disrupt the global economy, overshadowing a record release of strategic crude by the International Energy Agency.

As US-Israel strikes on Iran neared their third week, the conflict showed no signs of easing, with Tehran launching further retaliatory attacks across the Gulf.

US Iran war news LIVE: Brent crude prices surged to $100.09 per barrel on Wednesday, rising $8.11, or 8.82% on the day, as escalating tensions in the Middle East fuelled concerns over disruptions to global oil supply.

US Iran war news LIVE: Oman has evacuated all vessels from its key oil export terminal at Mina al Fahal as a precautionary measure, amid rising regional tensions, Reuters reported.

Authorities said the step was taken to ensure the safety of ships and port infrastructure.

US Iran war news LIVE: Saudi Arabia shoots down drone approaching embassy district, AFP reported.

US Iran war news LIVE: A Liberia-flagged tanker carrying Saudi Arabian crude, captained by an Indian, has berthed at Mumbai port after clearing the Strait of Hormuz two days ago.

It is the first India-bound vessel to safely transit the strategic waterway, where maritime traffic has nearly halted since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Read here

US Iran war news LIVE: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said it has neutralised three additional drone strikes after earlier downing 18 unmanned aerial vehicles over the country’s eastern territories.

In a series of updates on X, the ministry said its forces intercepted two drones over the Empty Quarter desert that were reportedly targeting the Shaybah oil field before being brought down.

US Iran war news LIVE: Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior has urged citizens and residents in Hidd, Arad, Qalali and Samaheej to remain indoors and close windows and ventilation openings following a fire in Muharraq Governorate, Al Jazeera reported.

The ministry said the advisory was issued as a precaution against possible effects of smoke from the blaze. Earlier, Bahrain said it was responding to an Iranian attack on fuel tanks in the Muharraq Governorate.

US Iran war news LIVE: US Iran war news LIVE: One killed in Basra port attack; Iraq halts operations at oil ports, AP reported.

US Iran war news LIVE: Israeli military says more Iranian missiles heading toward Israel, AFP reported.

US Iran war news LIVE: US Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued a statement on the International Energy Agency’s decision and the planned use of the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

“Earlier today, 32 member nations of the International Energy Agency unanimously agreed to President Trump’s request to lower energy prices with a coordinated release of 400 million barrels of oil and refined products from their respective reserves.

“As part of this effort, President Trump authorized the Department of Energy to release 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, beginning next week. This will take approximately 120 days to deliver based on planned discharge rates”.

Read here

US Iran war news LIVE: An air strike killed at least two fighters in northern Iraq on Thursday.

Iraq, which has long been a proxy battleground between the United States and Iran, has been drawn into the wider Middle East war that began when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran last month, AFP reported.

The strike targeted a base in the city of Kirkuk used by the Hashed al-Shaabi, a former paramilitary coalition that has since been integrated into Iraq’s regular armed forces.

The Hashed also includes brigades from Iran-backed groups that have been targeted in a series of attacks blamed on the United States and Israel since the war began.

US Iran war news LIVE: The United States and Iran signalled there was no immediate end in sight to their war, with US President Donald Trump saying it was necessary to “finish the job,” while Tehran warned the world should prepare for oil prices of $200 a barrel after attacks on tankers in Iraqi waters and other vessels near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

US Iran war news LIVE: CitiBank said it would close all but one of its branches in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday following an Iranian threat to target financial institutions in the region, AP reported.

The bank said it took the step “given the evolving situation within the country,” without providing further details.

Other financial institutions have also reportedly asked employees to work from home in response to the threat.

US Iran war news LIVE: Explosive-laden boats believed to be Iranian attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters on Wednesday, setting the vessels ablaze and killing one crew member, Reuters reported.

The attacks followed earlier incidents in which projectiles struck three ships in Gulf waters, marking a further escalation in the conflict between Iran and US-Israeli forces.

At least 16 vessels have now been hit in the region since fighting began.

Shipping across the Gulf and the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil, has slowed to a near standstill since the United States and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, pushing global oil prices to their highest levels since 2022.

The tankers targeted in late-night armed boat attacks near Iraq were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Zefyros, both of which had loaded fuel cargoes in Iraq, two Iraqi port officials said.

US Iran war news LIVE: “The Israeli enemy strike on Ramlet al-Bayda in Beirut led to an initial toll of seven dead and 21 wounded,” the health ministry said in a statement, referring to the beachside area where some displaced people have been sleeping outdoors since the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted.