A fire broke out at Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi refinery early Friday after a drone attack by Iran, marking the second day of strikes against the facility as Israel simultaneously launched attacks on Tehran. The escalating conflict, now nearing its third week, has raised concerns about regional stability and global energy supplies.
Kuwait’s national oil company reported that several units at the refinery, which processes approximately 730,000 barrels of oil per day, were shut down following the attack. Kuwaiti military forces stated they were actively intercepting incoming missile and drone threats, according to Al Jazeera. No casualties have been reported.
The attacks on Kuwait are part of a broader Iranian campaign in retaliation for an Israeli strike earlier this week on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, a critical source of natural gas for the country. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also claimed to have targeted U.S. Forces at the UAE’s al-Dhafra airbase and sites within Israel, according to reports.
The United Arab Emirates reported incoming missile and drone threats, whereas Bahrain stated that shrapnel from intercepted projectiles sparked a warehouse fire. Saudi Arabia announced it had intercepted and destroyed over a dozen drones within a two-hour period. These attacks stretch from Kuwait to the UAE, signaling a dangerous new phase in the conflict, analysts say.
Simultaneously, explosions were reported in Tehran as Israel conducted strikes on the Iranian capital. These attacks occurred as Iranians marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Associated Press journalists in Tehran reported further airstrikes in the capital before noon local time, and the Israeli army later confirmed strikes east of Tehran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Thursday that Iran’s navy had been sunk and its air force decimated, adding that its ability to produce ballistic missiles had been eliminated. However, the IRGC refuted this claim, stating that missile production continued, France24 reported.
Oil prices initially fell on Friday following Netanyahu’s comments suggesting a swift end to the conflict, but those losses were partially offset by news of the Kuwait refinery fire, according to the South China Morning Post. Brent crude, which spiked to over $119 a barrel during Thursday’s attacks, was trading around $107 on Friday morning, a more than 47 percent increase since the conflict began on February 28.
The U.A.E. Announced Friday that it had disrupted a “terrorist network” funded and operated by Hezbollah and Iran, arresting five men accused of money laundering. The U.A.E. Alleged the network operated under a false commercial cover and posed a threat to the country’s financial stability, publishing images of the arrested individuals on its state-run news agency.
Sirens sounded in Jerusalem and northern Israel early Friday, prompting residents to seek shelter. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The conflict continues as U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly requested Israel hold off on further attacks on the South Pars gas field after the Iranian response sent oil prices soaring.
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