U.S. President Donald Trump said he has demanded about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open as Iranian strikes continued to rain down on Gulf countries Monday.
Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest, gradually restarted operations after a drone struck a fuel tank and started a fire. Authorities said it was quickly contained and no injuries were reported.
Tehran has accused the United States without evidence of using "ports, docks and hideouts" in the United Arab Emirates to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran's oil exports evidence, as oil prices soared. Brent crude oil was trading near $105 per barrel on Monday.
Trump said the U.S. is negotiating with countries heavily reliant on Middle East crude to join a coalition to police the waterway where about one-fifth the world’s traded oil normally flows, but declined to name them.
Israeli strikes have deepened Lebanon's humanitarian crisis, with more than 850 people killed and over 850,000 displaced.
Here is the latest:
Iraq’s oil minister says new route for oil exports set to open
Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani said Monday in a video statement that a pipeline from the northern city of Kirkuk to Turkey will be operational within a week, allowing the country to resume oil exports interrupted by the ongoing regional war.
Iraq previously exported around 3.4 million barrels of oil a day through its southern port of Basra, he said, but “in light of the military operations and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iraqi oil exports stopped two or three days after the beginning of the war in the region.”
Abdul-Ghani said the pipeline from Kirkuk to Turkey, with a capacity of 200,000 to 250,000 barrels a day, is currently undergoing hydrostatic testing. The route will bypass the semi-autonomous Kurdish area in northern Iraq after Baghdad could not reach an agreement with local authorities over conditions for exporting via another pipeline in the Kurdish region.
Israel says displaced Lebanese will have to wait to return home
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said those that fled southern Lebanon in the face of Israeli fighting against Hezbollah militants won’t be able to return home until northern Israel, which has been hit by barrages of rockets, is safe.
“Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for its aggression and activity in the Iranian axis to destroy Israel,” he said.
“We have promised security to the residents of the north, and that is exactly what we will do,” he said.
American efforts to protect Strait of Hormuz continue, US military commander says
The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East says American forces are zeroing in on Iran’s threats to freighters carrying oil and natural gas through a vital chokepoint in the Persian Gulf.
“We will continue to rapidly deplete Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz,” Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said in a video posted to X on Monday.
Iranian strikes on commercial vessels have effectively stopped shipping traffic in the waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported. That has dramatically increased the price of oil and put pressure on Washington to do something to ease the pain for consumers.
Trump says he may delay China trip as Iran war roils oil prices
President Trump may delay his China trip due to the Iran war, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday it’s not to pressure Beijing on the Strait of Hormuz.
Bessent said any delay to Trump’s trip to Beijing wouldn’t be because of disagreements over the Iran war or efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“If the meeting for some reason was rescheduled, it would be rescheduled because of logistics,” he said. “The president wants to remain in D.C. to coordinate the war and traveling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal.”
Trump has suggested he may delay the much-anticipated visit to China at the end of the month as he seeks to ramp up the pressure on Beijing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and calm oil prices that have soared during the Iran war.
Italy signals reluctance to Trump’s call to help open Strait of Hormuz
Italy is the latest country to react cautiously to Trump’s demand that allies help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters in Brussels on Monday that Italy backs reinforcing EU naval missions in the Red Sea.
But he added: “However, I don’t think these missions can be expanded to include the Strait of Hormuz, especially since they are anti-piracy and defensive missions.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said he has demanded about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, as Iranian strikes continued to rain down on Gulf countries.
A Pakistani oil tanker transited through Strait of Hormuz
A vessel tracker says a first tanker carrying non-Iranian oil has transited through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pakistani-controlled tanker Karachi, which carries crude oil from Abu Dhabi, passed the strait on Sunday, according to data from MarineTraffic.
The tanker is now sailing in the Gulf of Oman, it said.
India expecting LPG ships that transited the Strait of Hormuz
India’s shipping ministry said Monday that an Indian-flagged vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas is expected to arrive at a port later in the day with more than 40,000 metric tons of fuel.
Local media reported that the vessel sailed from Qatar’s Ras Laffan anchorage. The AP was not able to independently verify that.
A second ship is scheduled to dock on Tuesday, the ministry said. Both vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
Officials said 22 Indian-flagged vessels remain west of the strait.
Starmer says UK seeks ‘viable’ plan to open Strait of Hormuz
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Britain is working with allies on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but “will not be drawn into the wider war.”
He spoke after U.S. President Donald Trump said he’d demanded U.S. allies send warships to open the key oil shipment route.
Starmer said Britain is discussing with the U.S. and allies in Europe and the Gulf the possibility of using mine-hunting drones that the U.K. has in the region. But he signalled the U.K. is unlikely to dispatch a warship.
Trump has berated Starmer for a perceived lack of support for the war, after the prime minister initially refused to allow the U.S. to use British bases to strike Iran.
Starmer said at a news conference Monday that Britain is seeking “a viable collective plan” to reopen the strait, adding that it is, “to say the least, not easy.”
Iran says Strait of Hormuz is closed only to US, Israel and their allies
Iran’s top diplomat says the key Strait of Hormuz is only cut off for vessels of the United States, Israel and their allies.
“From our perspective it is open,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said of the strait. “It is only closed to our enemies, to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country and to their allies.”
Araghchi spoke at a press conference in Tehran on Monday.
Israeli airstrike kills 4, including 2 children, in Lebanon
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Qantara killed four people, including two children.
A wall collapse in Gaza kills 3 Palestinians
Two Palestinian women and a child were killed Monday when a wall collapsed in the Gaza Strip, hospital authorities said.
The three-meter-high wall collapsed over tents sheltering displaced people in the southern city of Khan Younis, the city’s Nasser Hospital said.
The dead were relatives and included a six-year-old boy, a 17-year-old pregnant woman and an elderly woman, according to a hospital casualty list.
The Israel-Hamas war has wrecked Gaza, leaving the majority of the strip’s more than 2 million people living in tents or damaged buildings.
The war left 61 million tons of rubble — about as much as 15 Great Pyramids of Giza or 25 Eiffel Towers by volume, according to the U.N.
German minister says US-Israeli aims need clarity
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Monday it will be important for the U.S. and Israel to define “when they consider the military aims of their deployment to have been reached.”
Before meeting EU colleagues in Brussels, Wadephul said he told his U.S. and Israeli counterparts “we need more clarity here.”
He also said the Iranian government poses a significant danger to the region, the freedom of shipping and the global economy and “this danger definitely must not continue.”
Wadephul said without elaborating that he would back sanctions against those responsible for blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
He said once there is clarity on the U.S.-Israeli aims it will be time for a phase when “a security architecture for this whole region” is defined, which will entail speaking to Iran.
UK sending funds to Lebanon humanitarian groups
Britain is sending 5 million pounds ($6.6 million) to humanitarian organizations in Lebanon.
The funds are intended to help provide food, water and shelter for some of the more than 800,000 people displaced by Israel’s offensive against the militant group Hezbollah.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she is “gravely concerned about the developing conflict in Lebanon and the scale of the humanitarian impact.”
She condemned Hezbollah’s strikes on Israel and said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people by Israeli operations “is completely unacceptable.”
Cooper said the U.K. is working with European allies and the U.S. to prevent the conflict from escalating.
Bahrain reports missile and drone attacks
Bahrain’s Defense Ministry says air defense systems have responded to attacks Monday morning.
The ministry says four missiles and three drones were fired.
Israel sends troops into Lebanon for ‘limited’ operation
The Israeli military says it sent additional ground troops into Lebanon for what it calls a “limited and targeted operation.”
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani says the latest deployment is meant to defend Israeli border communities against attacks from the Hezbollah militant group.
Shoshani says Hezbollah has sent hundreds of fighters from its elite Radwan unit toward the border since the militant group entered the war two weeks ago.
He says Israel carried out artillery and airstrikes on multiple sites before sending in the troops.
Earlier in the war, Israel beefed up the presence of ground troops inside Lebanon in what it says is an attempt to prevent attacks on its northern border towns.
Israeli strikes on south Lebanon kill 3 including 2 paramedics
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency says one person was killed by an Israeli airstrike early Monday on a home in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Sir.
The agency says another strike occurred after paramedics from the Islamic Health Society, Hezbollah’s health arm, arrived at the scene.
The agency says the second strike killed two paramedics and wounded another person.
Israeli military says 70% of Iranian launchers destroyed
The Israeli military says it has destroyed an estimated 70% of Iran’s missile launchers during the first two weeks of the war.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters Monday that while Iran continues to fire missiles at Israel, the number of launches has been greatly reduced.
He says Israel has carried out some 7,600 strikes in Iran, knocking out 85% of Iran’s air defenses and targeting a number of Iranian nuclear sites.
Shoshani says the war will go on “for as long as needed” and says Israel still has thousands of targets it is prepared to strike.
China has no comment on Trump’s Strait of Hormuz request
A Chinese government spokesperson did not respond directly to questions about Trump’s request for military support from several countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The Foreign Ministry’s Lin Jian, at a daily briefing in Beijing, instead repeated China’s calls for an end to the fighting, noting the impact on energy and goods trade.
Trump said in an interview with The Financial Times that the U.S. would like an answer from China before his planned trip to Beijing in about two weeks, and that "we may delay."
Lin said China and the U.S. have maintained communication on Trump’s visit.
“Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–U.S. relations,” he said.
Drone strike starts fire at UAE oil facility
A fire broke out Monday following a drone attack on an industrial oil facility in Fujairah, one of the United Arab Emirates’ seven emirates, authorities said.
The Media Office in Fujairah said a drone targeted the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, causing an “advanced” fire.
No casualties were reported.
UAE says Palestinian killed in Abu Dhabi missile attack
A Palestinian civilian was killed in a missile attack early Monday in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, authorities said.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office said a missile fell on a civilian vehicle in Al Bahyah area
The death raised the toll to seven people in the UAE since the beginning of the war Feb. 18, authorities said.
EU weighs naval missions to reopen strait
The European Union is weighing two types of naval missions to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“It is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and that’s why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard from the European side,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief.
She made the announcement ahead of a gathering of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
Rising prices for energy and fertilizers has brought the war in Iran to the top of their agenda, she said.
Kallas said the EU could expand its Aspides naval mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea up into the Persian Gulf or form a “coalition of the willing” with member nations contributing military capacity on an ad hoc basis.
Saudi Arabia reports drone attacks
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted three drones Monday morning over the capital Riyadh and the nation’s oil-rich western region.
The Saudi Defense Ministry says no casualties or damage were reported.
The ministry reports more than 60 drones attacked the Gulf country within a few hours.
Some flights resume at Dubai airport
United Arab Emirates officials say Dubai International Airport has gradually resumed some flights at hours after a drone strike.
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announced flights are operating to selected destinations, according to the Dubai Media Office.
Emirates airline says limited operations have resumed at the airport.
A drone struck a fuel tank at the airport early Monday, causing a fire and forcing the temporary suspension of flights.
Brent crude trades near $105
Brent crude oil is trading near the $105 per barrel level on Monday.
A barrel of Brent, the international standard, was up 1.6% at $104.73, dipping slightly after opening above $106 per barrel. It’s up more than 40% since the war began.
Share prices in Asia were mixed and U.S. futures advanced.
Dubai flights to remain suspended
Hours after a drone strike sparked a fire at Dubai’s main airport, Emirates says in its latest update that all of its flights there “remain suspended until further notice.”
The airline says it is working with authorities to restart operations when possible. It urged passengers not to travel to the airport.
Dubai International Airport is the world’s busiest airport for international travel and a key hub for many routes linking the East and West.
UAE intercepts more drone and missile attacks
The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said forces were intercepting Iranian missiles and drones Monday morning.
Earlier, a drone hit a fuel tank at the Dubai International Airport.
Trump suggests he may delay his trip to China
Trump is suggesting he may delay his much-anticipated visit to China at the end of the month as he seeks to ramp up the pressure on Beijing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and calm oil prices.
In an interview Sunday with the Financial Times, Trump said China’s reliance on oil from the Middle East means it ought to help with a new coalition he is trying to put together to get oil tanker traffic moving through the strait after Iran’s threats have throttled global flows of oil.
Trump said “we’d like to know” before the trip whether Beijing will help.
“We may delay,” Trump said in the interview.
Trump's new comments came as U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Monday in Paris for a new round of trade talks that were meant to pave the way for Trump's Beijing trip.
Saudi crown prince speaks with UAE president
Mohammed bin Salman and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed the latest regional developments in a phone call, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement early Monday.
The two leaders said the continued “Iranian attacks against Gulf Cooperation Council countries represent a dangerous escalation that threatens regional security and stability,” adding that GCC states will continue efforts to defend their countries
Road and tunnel to Dubai International Airport closed
Emirati authorities have closed the main road and tunnel leading to Dubai International Airport.
Dubai Police urged drivers to use alternative roads.
Authorities said earlier a drone hit a fuel tank at the airport, causing fire with no casualties.
Saudi air defenses down large drone attack
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said early Monday it downed an additional large barrage of 35 drones in the country’s eastern region, one of the kingdom’s least dense, close to Iran and home to major oil installations.
This brings the total number of drones intercepted to at least 60 in the last few hours.
The ministry did not immediately report casualties or damage.
Australia not sending warship to Strait of Hormuz, minister says
The Australian government says a warship won’t be sent to the Middle East to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that he has demanded about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, as Iranian strikes continued to rain down on Gulf countries.
Australia’s Transport Minister Catherine King told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday she was not aware of Australia receiving such a request.
“We won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is, but that’s not something that we’ve been asked or that we’re contributing to,” King said.
Australia said last week it was providing the UAE with an air force surveillance jet and air-to-air missiles to defend against Iranian attacks.
But a government statement said Australia was “not taking offensive action against Iran.”