What are the current developments? Here are 5 updates

1. Pentagon escalation: Defence Secretary Hegseth confirmed Tuesday is the peak of the US air campaign, despite noting that Iranian missile fire reached its lowest volume in 24 hours.
2. Gulf under fire: Intercepts were reported over Qatar and the UAE. In Bahrain, a missile struck a residential building in Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman.
3. Maritime terror: The UK military warned of a probable attack on a bulk carrier off the coast of Abu Dhabi, signalling an expansion of Iran’s naval targeting.
4. Energy chokehold: The Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) vowed that “not a single liter of oil” will leave the Persian Gulf, directly defying President Trump’s earlier threats of massive retaliation.
5. Global fallout: Egypt hiked fuel prices by up to 17%, while Thailand and Vietnam have urged citizens to work from home and limit vehicle use to conserve dwindling supplies.

Global energy crisis deepens

The economic ripples of the conflict are now crashing into kitchen tables worldwide. In India, a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has left restaurants in Mumbai and Bengaluru struggling to stay open. Meanwhile, the G7 nations are convening an emergency video call this afternoon to discuss the coordinated release of strategic oil stocks to blunt the “war premium” that has kept prices volatile.

Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser warned that global inventories are “eroding fast” as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. While Saudi Arabia is racing to bring its East-West pipeline to maximum capacity (7 million barrels per day) to bypass the chokepoint, experts warn it may not be enough to stabilise a market deprived of 20% of the world’s daily oil flow.

The Indian Express Global Desk is providing minute-by-minute updates, including exclusive satellite analysis of the strikes in Tehran and real-time tracking of shipping disruptions in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.