Middle East crisis live: Iran issues statement ‘from Mojtaba Khamenei’ as its attacks disrupt energy markets

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‘We make a lot of money’: Trump spins spiking oil prices as benefit for US

In a Truth Social post, Donald Trump suggested that the skyrocketing price of oil – which jumped back above $100 a barrel before dropping to $98 a barrel – would ultimately be beneficial for Americans who are facing increased gasoline prices at the pump.

“The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,” the president – who campaigned on bringing down costs – wrote. “BUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stoping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World. I won’t ever let that happen!”

On Wednesday Trump tried to assuage concerns over spiking gas prices. “I would say it went up a little bit less than we thought. It’s going to come down more than anybody understands,” the president told reporters in Ohio.

The national average for a gallon of fuel is currently $3.59 – up from $2.94 a month ago.

For our live coverage on US politics, follow here.

Here are some images coming out of Tehran today:

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran will avenge the those who were killed in US-Israeli airstrikes, including the dozens of seven to 12-year-old girls who were killed in an airstrike that hit a school in Minab.

He also offered financial compensation for Iranians who suffered damage from the attacks.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei did not did not appear on camera for his first public remarks as the newly appointed supreme leader of Iran – a news anchor read his statement out loud on state television.

Tehran’s ambassador to Cyprus confirmed on Wednesday that Khamenei was injured in the 28 February attack that killed six of his family members, including his father, Ali Khamenei, the late supreme leader of Iran. Mojtaba’s wife, Zahra, and his teenage son, Mohammad Bagher, were also killed in the attack.

Statement released 'from new supreme leader'

In his first public remarks as Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei apparently called for national unity and said that all US bases in the region should close or face attacks.

The strait of Hormuz will remain closed in order to pressure Iran’s enemies, Khamenei reportedly said. He was not seen in the broadcast and the statement was delivered by a newsreader.

Iran wants good relations with its neighbouring countries, Khamenei’s statement said, and asked them to close down their US bases as that is what Iran is targeting.

UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has flown to Saudi Arabia for her first official visit to the Gulf since the war between ther US and Iran started.

She said upon her arrival: “The situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile, and our priority is the safety and security of British people, alongside supporting our partners across the region who face continuing strikes.

“This is why it is so important for me to be here in Saudi Arabia – an essential partner for the UK in the Gulf, who have been targeted by reckless attacks by the Iranian regime, and who have supported British nationals to come home and is working to maintain energy security and supply.

“Everyone wants to see a swift resolution that brings security and stability back to the region and stops this Iranian threat to its neighbours.”

As many as 3.2m Iranians have fled their homes to find safety from the joint US-Israeli aerial bombing campaign bombarding the country, according to preliminary assessments by the the UN refugee agency.

“Most of them are reportedly fleeing from Tehran and other major urban areas towards the north of the country and rural areas to seek safety,” the UNHCR said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

“This figure is likely to continue rising as hostilities persist, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs.”

The UNHCR has a longstanding presence in Iran supporting refugees from neighbouring Afghanistan, who it said were “particularly vulnerable” to the current displacement crisis, “given their already precarious situation and limited support networks”.

US energy secretary Chris Wright told CNBC on Thursday that the navy cannot escort ships through the strait of Hormuz now but it was “quite likely” that could happen by the end of the month.

The issues with protecting oil tankers in the strait were discussed by US military officials in a classified briefing to top lawmakers on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The first official message from the new supreme leader in Iran, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is due to be published shortly.

It will be his first official public remarks since he was made supreme leader and, depending on the format, may go some way to allay reports that he was seriously injured in the attack at the outset of the war

Iranian press reported this strategic message, issued in seven important chapters, contains special points regarding the martyred leader of the revolution, the role and duties of the people, armed forces, executive bodies and resistance front, as well as regional countries and dealing with enemies.

Thailand demands apology from Iran after ship struck in strait of Hormuz

Thailand’s foreign ministry on Thursday said it had requested an apology from after a Thai bulk carrier was attacked in the strait of Hormuz yesterday.

Three ships were hit by unknown projectiles in the strategic strait abutting Iran. While two of the ships sustained damage, the crew was forced to evacuate the Thai bulk carrier after it caught fire.

According to Reuters, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency that the ship was “fired upon by Iranian fighters“.

Today so far

Iran appeared to have set two tankers ablaze on fire in Iraqi waters, killing one crew member, as it stepped up strikes on oil and transport facilities around the Middle East.

Oil prices, which shot up earlier in the week to nearly $120 a barrel before retreating, jumped almost 10% back above $100 a barrel before dropping to $98 a barrel amid renewed fears about supply disruption. A spokesperson for Iran’s military command had earlier warned in remarks directed at the US: “Get ready for oil to be $200 a barrel, because the oil price depends on regional security, which you have destabilised.”

Israeli forces conducted a drone strike on an area of Beirut where displaced residents were sheltering in tents. At least eight people were killed in the attack on the capital’s beachfront.

The Israeli military issued a warning on Thursday to residents of a village in Lebanon located about 64 kilometres (40 miles) east of Beirut. It also announced that it had begun yet another widescale wave of strikes on Iran. The IDF also said that Israeli forces had struck a nuclear program site in Iran earlier this week, but the Guardian was not able to independently verify that statement.

Amid the Israeli strikes on Lebanon and Iran, displaced Palestinians in a tent encampment near Gaza City said they received a call from the Israeli military on Wednesday night ordering them to evacuate in five minutes. Video shows the camp then getting struck.

Drones struck Kuwait international airport on Thursday, causing some material damage. It is unclear who is responsible for the attack, which came one day after four people were injured when air defences intercepted two drones near Dubai airport in the United Arab Emirates. Soon after the attack, the Dutch carrier KLM canceled all flights to Dubai up to and including 28 March.

An Italian military base in the Kurdish region of Iraq was attacked, Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said in a post on X. Tajani said he strongly condemned the attack in Erbil, but didn’t say if authorities knew who was responsible for it. He said all soldiers on the base were safe.

About 2,000 people have reportedly been killed in the war launched almost two weeks ago, while Unicef said more than 1,100 children had been killed or injured.

Israeli airstrike sets fire to camp sheltering displaced Palestinians near Gaza City

Amid airstrikes on Lebanon and Iran, video shows Israeli forces targeting a tent camp sheltering displaced Palestinians west of Gaza City on Wednesday night.

Palestinians in the Al-Ansar camp said they received phone calls from Israeli military personnel ordering them to evacuate the area within five minutes. After two initial warning strikes, the camp was struck a third time.

More here:

Israeli air force strikes nuclear site in Iran, IDF says

The Israeli military announced today that it had struck a nuclear program site in Iran.

The strike on the Taleghan compound was part of a wave of strikes conducted over the past few days, the IDF said.

The Guardian was not able to immediately verify this statement.

According to Reuters, Taleghan is a facility at the Parchin military complex, located about 30 kilometres (19 miles) southeast of Tehran. From the beginning of the US-Israeli war with Iran, Donald Trump has said that one of his war aims was to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Tehran has long insisted that its nuclear programme was for civilian purposes but in 2002, two undeclared sites, for uranium enrichment and heavy water plutonium production, were discovered, raising suspicion.

The Israeli military said that IDF intelligence had determined that the Taleghan compound was utilized by Tehran to develop weapons and conduct experiments as part of Amad, an Iranian scientific project aimed at developing nuclear weapons that was believed to have ended in 2003.

The Israeli military had announced last week that it had struck Minzadeheian, another nuclear site in Iran where it said scientists were covertly developing a key component for nuclear weapons.

Here are some images coming out of the Middle East:

Bahrain:

United Arab Emirates:

The Australian government has directed all “non-essential” diplomats to leave Israel and the United Arab Emirates because of the conflict, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, said on Thursday.

Essential Australian officials will remain to support Australians who need it, she added.

“We continue to advise Australians not to travel to Israel and the UAE,” Wong said. “We urge you to leave the Middle East if you can and if it’s safe to do so. Don’t wait until it’s too late. It may be the last chance for some time.”