Dubai, April 3
Iran launched missile strikes on Friday that set a refinery ablaze and damaged a desalination plant in Kuwait, as Israeli and US forces continued their offensive against Iranian targets. The conflict, which began on February 28, is now entering its sixth week, with tensions escalating across the Gulf region. Israel, Bahrain, and Kuwait issued warnings about incoming missile fire during the day, though it remained unclear whether additional targets were hit.
Meanwhile, activists in Iran reported fresh strikes around the capital Tehran and the central city of Isfahan, indicating continued military pressure on key locations.
Iran’s targeting of energy infrastructure in the Gulf, coupled with its control over the Strait of Hormuz — a vital shipping route for nearly 20 per cent of the world’s oil and natural gas — has triggered a sharp rise in global energy prices.
US President Donald Trump said American forces would continue to strike Iran “very hard” over the next two to three weeks, signaling no immediate de-escalation in hostilities.
In a show of military readiness, the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet announced that one of its largest aircraft carriers had departed Split, Croatia, and remains prepared for deployment in support of national objectives. Its destination was not disclosed.
The USS Abraham Lincoln continues to operate in the Arabian Sea, while the USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier departed Norfolk earlier this week, heading towards the Middle East.
