On Wednesday morning, Israeli attacks, which regional media related to the United States as part of the operation, targeted the facilities of a large gas field in southern Iran, known as the world's largest natural reserve and provider of 70% of the domestic gas used by the Persian state. This morning, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he was not aware of the attack that Israel would carry out on the South Pars natural gas field.
Tehran responded with attacks on Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, causing a significant fire at the Ras Laffan refinery, the main liquefied natural gas facility in the country, at a fuel depot for Riyadh's aircraft, and a refinery in Bahrain. Faced with these attacks on energy facilities in Gulf countries, Trump has threatened Iran to cease its efforts.
"THERE WILL BE NO MORE ATTACKS by Israel related to this extremely important and valuable South Pars field, unless Iran decides recklessly to attack a very innocent country, in this case Qatar. In which case, the United States, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entire South Pars gas field with a force and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before," stated the U.S. President.
Iran denounces that 18 healthcare workers have died in attacks by the US and Israel
Iran denounced on Thursday that at least 18 members of the country's healthcare staff have died in attacks by the United States and Israel since the beginning of the war on February 28, as reported by Efe.
The President of the Iranian Medical System Organization, Mohamad Raeiszadeh, reported the death of 18 healthcare workers in the country and added that 20 hospitals and health centers have also been damaged.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on March 11 that at least eight healthcare staff members had died in Iran since the start of the conflict.
Cyprus wants to negotiate "the status and future" of UK bases on its territory
The President of Cyprus, Níkos Christodoulídis, expressed on Thursday in Brussels his intention to negotiate "the status and future" of the UK military bases on its territory, once the war against Iran and hostilities in the Middle East have ceased, as reported by Efe.
"When the situation in the Middle East is over, we will have an open and frank discussion with the British government," Christodoulídis stated upon arrival at the European Union leaders' summit in the Belgian capital.
Asked by journalists, the Cypriot leader asserted that they have "a clear approach regarding the future of the British bases" and added that he would not further detail their position publicly because he does not want to "negotiate publicly."
Several media outlets claim that Trump did know that Israel would attack the gas field in Iran
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, did know that Israel planned to attack the South Pars gas facilities, part of the world's largest gas field shared by Iran and Qatar, as reported by American media on Thursday, according to Efe. Despite Trump stating on his social media platform Truth that the United States "knew nothing about this particular attack," he had discussed the Israeli plans to attack with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the digital newspaper Axios, citing official sources from both countries. Two Israeli sources also assured CNN that the Israeli attack had been previously coordinated with the United States. Everything indicates that Trump claimed ignorance of the attack to appease Qatar, which had not been informed in advance of what would happen and, after the Israeli projectile hit the huge gas field on Wednesday, contacted the White House and the Pentagon for explanations, according to Axios.
Belgium says that the EU only wants the war in Iran to end and not to be involved
The Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart de Wever, stated on Thursday that the European Union (EU) only wants the war initiated by the United States and Israel in Iran to "end as soon as possible" and not to be involved in it, as reported by Efe. "Everyone wants one thing: for this war to end as soon as possible and not to be involved," De Wever emphasized to the press upon his arrival at a summit of EU leaders, where they will address the crisis in the Middle East and its impact on energy prices, among other issues.
China considers the assassination of Ali Larijani "unacceptable"
China described the assassination of Iranian security chief Ali Larijani, killed this week by Israel, as "unacceptable," as well as that of any other Iranian leader, and reiterated its demand for an immediate ceasefire, as reported by Afp. A pillar of Iranian power, Larijani was a member of the Supreme National Security Council. Since the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, also killed in an Israeli attack, many analysts considered him the de facto leader of the country. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and himself had "authorized the army to eliminate any senior Iranian official" who could be targeted without causing significant collateral damage, "without the need for additional approval."
The IOM estimates that 125,000, half of them children, have fled from Lebanon to Syria
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated on Wednesday that over 125,000 people, mostly Syrians with nearly half being children, have crossed from Lebanon to Syria, demonstrating "the growing regional impact of the conflict," amid new Israeli airstrikes on positions in Lebanon attributed to the Lebanese Shiite militia group Hezbollah, amidst the Israeli and American offensive against Iran and Tehran's allies like the mentioned Shiite group, as reported by Europa Press. "As of March 17, over 125,000 people have crossed from Lebanon to Syria, according to the latest data from the International Organization for Migration's Displacement Tracking Matrix in Syria," announced the United Nations entity in a press release, specifying that "around half are children" and "the majority are Syrian citizens, while about 7,000 are Lebanese, highlighting the growing regional impact of the conflict."
The price of natural gas soars by almost 30% due to the war in the Middle East
The price of natural gas for delivery in one month on the TTF market in the Netherlands, a reference in Europe, surged nearly 30% on Thursday, surpassing 70 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh), following attacks on gas facilities in the Middle East, as reported by Efe. At 8:15 a.m. (7:15 GMT), natural gas rose by 28.06%, reaching 70.20 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh), although it initially rose more sharply and reached 72 euros. The price of gas, like oil, which is up over 6% today, has begun to climb after the Israeli attack on the South Pars natural gas field in the Persian Gulf operated by Iran.
UNICEF announces the dispatch of aid for 226,000 people in Iran
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced on Wednesday the dispatch of emergency medical supplies to help 226,000 people in Iran in response to a request from the country's Ministry of Health, amidst the offensive launched by the United States and Israel, as reported by Europa Press. "In response to requests from the Ministry of Health of Iran, UNICEF is sending emergency medical supplies -- such as mobile health units, tents for basic care, and emergency kits -- to restore essential services for around 226,000 people," the fund announced in a statement, specifying that this aid includes "vaccines, basic healthcare materials, and mental health services for children, adolescents, and their families."