US-Israel-Iran War News Updates: UAE Responding To Iran Drones And Strikes As UN Chiefs Calls For Peace

US President Donald Trump has said the United States would strike and massively blow up the entirety of Iran's South Pars gas field if Iran attacks Qatar again.

According to AP, Trump made the threat on social media on Wednesday night as the war continued to affect global energy markets and after Iranian missiles struck Qatar.

He said the US knew nothing about Israel's strike on the gas field and did not take part in it. A person familiar with the matter said earlier on Wednesday that the US had been informed about Israel's plans but did not participate.

Trump stated that Qatar was in no way, shape or form involved in Israel's attacks on Iran's gas field, but Iran did not know this and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked Qatar.

He added that he did not want to authorise this level of violence and destruction because of the long-term implications it would have on the future of Iran, but that he would not hesitate to do so if Qatar's liquefied natural gas sites were attacked again.

Senator Chris Van Hollen has reacted to a Washington Post report that the Pentagon is planning to seek more than $200bn for the war on Iran.

“$200 BILLION for a war of choice that Americans don’t want and that isn’t making us safer. This should be an absolute nonstarter,” he wrote on X.

“The best way to end this war, protect our troops, save civilian lives, & rein in a lawless Administration is to cut off funding. I’m a hell no.”

The Washington Post, citing a senior administration official, reported that the Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a request of more than $200bn to Congress for the war in Iran. It remains unclear how much it will ultimately ask lawmakers to approve.

Air raid sirens have gone off in northern Israel, including in Kiryat Shmona and the Western Galilee.

Channel 12 broadcaster reported that the Iranian missile attacks on Israel triggered the sirens.

This happened after the Israeli military said it had identified incoming missile fire from Iran.

President Trump says the US did not know about Israel’s plans to strike the South Pars gas field.

According to Al Jazeera, there is other reporting in Washington this evening suggesting that the Trump administration signed off on the Israeli air strike.

According to Al Jazeera, questions remain over where the truth lies in this situation. Did the US know? Did the US say yes, go ahead and strike South Pars? Or is the US in the dark, as Trump is saying?

What is also notable is that the president essentially says that the US will defend Qatar if its facilities in the same area are attacked yet again. That is in part because liquefied natural gas is an important Qatari export and it is something that the US imports.

And so there is the economic factor, but more than that, Trump is standing up for a significant regional ally and saying that the US will essentially wipe out South Pars, eroding and destroying one of Iran’s important economic engines.

That is a significant threat given that the US still has two aircraft carrier groups in the region that, theoretically, would have the capability to launch air strikes in order to do so.

Iran’s South Pars natural gas field, shared with Qatar in the Persian Gulf, is central to the country’s electricity supply. Any strike on the site risks disrupting power across the Islamic Republic.

Natural gas accounts for about 80% of Iran’s electricity generation, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency. It is also widely used for heating and cooking in homes across the country, according to AP.

The importance of this supply helps explain Iran’s response, which has involved a series of attacks aimed at gas fields and related infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

A ship was hit by a projectile off the coast of Qatar on Thursday morning, according to AP.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said the incident took place near Ras Laffan, a key natural gas supply location that had come under repeated Iranian fire overnight.

The UKMTO confirmed that all crew on board were safe.

It remains unclear whether the vessel was directly targeted or struck by debris as Qatar responded to incoming Iranian missiles with interceptors.

All fires in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial Area have been contained, the Ministry of Interior said, according to Al Jazeera.

Civil defence teams managed to bring the situation under control without any injuries reported. “fully contained all fires in the Ras Laffan Industrial Area without recording any injuries”.

Authorities said work is still under way to cool and secure affected locations, while security personnel continue handling any “hazardous” materials.

Officials again confirmed that no injuries were recorded.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held separate phone calls with officials from Turkiye, Egypt and Pakistan, according to Al Jazeera.

During the discussions, he addressed the US and Israel’s “military aggression against Iran and its regional and global repercussions”, as well as the “need for vigilance and coordination among regional countries in the face of these threats”, the Iranian foreign ministry said.

Araghchi also spoke with Sweden’s foreign minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, the ministry said.

Stenergard had earlier expressed “dismay” over Iran’s execution of a Swedish national accused of spying for Israel.

In response, Araghchi described her support for the individual as “regrettable”.

Three people have been executed in Iran after being convicted of involvement in the killing of two law enforcement officers during anti-government protests in January, according to Al Jazeera.

The report was carried by the IRGC-linked Fars news agency.

Iranian state television said at least 3,117 people were killed during the unrest earlier this year.

The US-based Human Rights Activists Ne3333ws Agency (HRANA) has previously said it has verified 6,854 deaths and is looking into a further 11,280 cases.

Kuwait’s military says its air defence systems are “confronting hostile missile and drone attacks”, Accoridng to Al Jazeera.

The update came around an hour after the National Guard reported it had brought down several drones.

The army has urged residents to follow “security and safety instructions”.

It also said that any explosions being heard are linked to interception activity.

Israeli air attacks have struck a house in Burj Shemali, east of Tyre in southern Lebanon, Accoridng to Al Jazeera.

The National News Agency said Israeli forces also shelled the entrances to Chihine and Marwahin, towns near the border.

Displaced residents from southern areas are continuing to head towards Sidon and Beirut after the Israeli military warned it would target crossings along the Litani River, the agency reported.

The United Nations says more than one million people have been displaced in Lebanon as air raids continue.

“This will be a real test of the relationship, and it’s the first meeting between Trump and a key ally since this war began,” According to Al Jazeera.

The planned talks between US President Donald Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi come as attention shifts away from earlier trade and tariff discussions.

Focus is now expected to be on possible US pressure for Japan to send naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz.

Japan depends heavily on energy imports, with about 90 percent coming from the region. Its navy includes around 49 frigates and destroyers equipped with Aegis systems and advanced missiles, a larger number than those held by countries such as the UK and France.

Takaichi would not need parliamentary approval for such a move, but more than 80 percent of voters oppose it, which could affect her political support. Japan’s navy is also limited by its pacifist constitution and has mainly been used for anti-piracy missions.

Japan maintains ties with Iran, and some analysts say it may seek to negotiate safe passage for its energy supplies in exchange for not joining US efforts.

Analysts say South Korea may consider a similar approach. It has not ruled out sending warships, but many in the governing party say doing so would go against domestic law, Accoridng to Al Jazeera.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation to discuss the escalating regional situation after Iranian missile strikes targeted Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country’s key gas hub.

According to a statement from the Amiri Diwan, both leaders described the attack as a “dangerous escalation” that threatens regional stability and jeopardises global energy security.

Macron underscored the urgency of halting military actions against civilian infrastructure, particularly energy and water facilities. He also stressed the need to protect civilians, ensure access to essential services, and maintain stable energy supplies.

The SAMREF refinery, operated by oil major Saudi Aramco at the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, was targeted in an aerial attack on Thursday, according to an industry source cited by Reuters. The source added that the impact of the strike appeared to be minimal.

Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued an evacuation warning for multiple oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, including SAMREF. The refinery is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Exxon Mobil.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned that the United States could “massively” strike Iran’s largest gas field, South Pars Gas Field, if Tehran continues attacks on Qatar following an Israeli strike on the facility.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Israel had targeted the gas field “out of anger” over developments in the Middle East, describing it as a major facility in Iran.

He added that the US had no prior knowledge of the Israeli strike, and claimed Qatar was also unaware. Trump further said Iran responded by attacking part of Qatar’s LNG infrastructure without full knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the South Pars incident.

Warning of further escalation, Trump said Israel would refrain from targeting the gas field again unless Iran attacks what he described as an “innocent party”. In that case, he said, the US could respond with overwhelming force against the South Pars Gas Field, with or without Israel’s involvement.

Following a meeting in Riyadh, the foreign ministers of 12 countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, issued a joint statement urging Iran to “immediately halt its attacks”.

The ministers also called on Tehran to avoid any actions that could disrupt international shipping, specifically warning against threats to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb — both critical routes for global trade and energy supplies.

In addition, the group condemned Israeli strikes on Lebanon and reaffirmed their support for the country’s security, stability, and territorial integrity.

According to Israel Health Ministry, 177 people were hospitalised with injuries over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of wartime casualties to 3,924.

Kuwait said a second refinery operated by its national oil company was set ablaze following a drone attack, according to the information ministry.

In a post on X, the ministry said a drone targeted an operational unit at the Mina Abdullah refinery, owned by the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, triggering a fire at the facility.

Earlier on Thursday, another drone strike hit the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, causing a smaller blaze.

Minister Ze’ev Elkin has said discussions about the war should not focus on when it will end, but on “how we can extend and deepen the damage”.

“Every day of the campaign is an enormous blessing for the State of Israel,” said Elkin in comments carried by Israeli Army Radio.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military had authorisation to target any senior Iranian officials in their sights.

IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said that Iran’s response to attacks on its energy infrastructure was “not yet finished”.

In a statement carried by the ISNA news agency, the spokesperson said that if attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure were repeated, the response would be “far more severe”.

“We warn the enemy that you made a major mistake by attacking the energy infrastructure of … Iran,” he said. “If it is repeated again, the next attacks on your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will not stop until their complete destruction.”

The Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza has reopened for the first time since Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, the Palestinian news agency Wafa said.

Germany’s economy minister has warned that attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure risk pushing companies out of Europe’s largest economy as prices surge.

Katherina Reiche said rising costs could intensify pressure on the industry, which has struggled since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. European natural gas prices have climbed more than 50 percent since the US and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ⁠has thanked Donald Trump for what he called signs that strikes against Iran may end.

“I am expressly grateful ‌that the US president sent a signal in this regard last night that he is prepared to bring the fighting to an end,” Merz told ⁠reporters ahead of an ⁠EU summit in Brussels.

The United States may ease restrictions on Iranian oil already at sea, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Fox Business, as Washington looks to stabilise global supply.

In posts on Telegram, Hezbollah said it has fired rockets at a military base and a village in Israel, as well as attacked Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

The group said it had aimed for the Israeli military’s Tefen base east of Acre, and at the settlement of Even Menachem in northern Israel.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is the latest leader to condemn Iran’s overnight attack on the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar’s main gas facility.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the overnight Iranian strike on a Qatari gas facility,” Starmer said.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have met to discuss the latest developments in the region following Iranian missile attacks on Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country’s main gas facility.

A statement by the Amiri Diwan said el-Sisi expressed Egypt’s full solidarity with Qatar, stressing its support for the measures taken by Doha to protect its sovereignty and security, for which the emir expressed gratitude.

Russia has condemned an Israeli air strike that injured a TV crew from state-run RT in Lebanon as not “accidental”.

Video agency Ruptly – a subsidiary of RT – posted footage showing an explosion and plumes of smoke rising metres behind RT’s reporter Steve Sweeney, who was wearing a bulletproof vest with a sign “Press” on it as he delivered an on-air report.