US-Israel vs Iran War News Live Updates: US deploying 3 more warships, 2,500 more Marines to Middle East, says official
The USS Boxer and two other amphibious assault ships, along with roughly 2,500 Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, have deployed from their home port of San Diego, the AP said quoting officils. (Credit: www.surfpac.navy.mil)
US Israel Iran War News Live Updates: The US military is deploying three more warships and roughly 2,500 more marines to the Middle East, AP quoted an official as saying. One US official confirmed Friday that the USS Boxer and two other amphibious assault ships, along with roughly 2,500 Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, have deployed from their home port of San Diego and are bound for the Middle East. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social and called NATO “coward”. He also said the organisation dis not “want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran”. The Trump administration is also reportedly considering occupying or blockading Iran’s Kharg Island to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
In Saudi Arabia, an Indian national was killed due to the “recent events of March 18”, the Indian Embassy announced. In a social media post, the Indian mission expressed its “deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national in Riyadh due to recent events on March 18th”. The circumstances regarding the Indian national’s death are not clear.
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Meanwhile, Iran has warned it will respond with “zero restraint” if its energy infrastructure is targeted again, as the conflict with Israel intensifies and spreads across the region, with fresh strikes, rising casualties and growing global concern over energy supplies. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had so far used only a “fraction” of its capabilities, after Iran struck key regional energy sites in retaliation for Israel’s attack on the South Pars gasfield. The escalation has already begun to disrupt global gas markets, while the United States moves to secure massive funding for a prolonged conflict.
Dubai, UAE Iran War News Live Updates: follow here
What is happening: Overnight strikes continued across multiple fronts, with explosions reported over Jerusalem and in Tehran, even as civilians marked Eid under the shadow of war. Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem as Iranian missiles were fired in quick succession, while several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, said they intercepted incoming drones. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had acted alone in striking Iran’s South Pars gasfield, amid reports of mounting damage to critical energy infrastructure across the region.
Middle East Energy War: 72 Hours That Shook Global Markets
Market Shock — March 18–20, 2026
$116+
Brent crude intraday peak (per barrel) — up from ~$73 before the war began
Source: AP / Al Jazeera, Mar 19
2×
European TTF gas prices — doubled in the past month; hit 3-year high after Ras Laffan strike
Source: Fortune / Al Jazeera, Mar 19
Key Facilities Struck — 5 Countries, 72 Hours
Qatar
Ras Laffan Industrial City
Mar 19 · Iranian missiles (4 intercepted, 1 hit)
17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity offline. LNG trains S4 & S6 destroyed. Force majeure declared. Repairs: 3–5 years.
QatarEnergy CEO al-Kaabi via Reuters/CNBC
Qatar
Pearl GTL Facility
Mar 18 · Part of wider Ras Laffan wave
Fire at Shell’s gas-to-liquids plant. Quickly extinguished. Among facilities confirmed hit in two-wave missile attack.
LNG Global crisis memo / QatarEnergy
Iran
South Pars — Asaluyeh Processing Hub
Mar 18 · Israeli airstrike (coordinated with US)
Onshore treatment facilities taken offline. Offshore gas transmission intact. World’s largest gas reserve. Sparked regional energy war.
Jerusalem Post / ME Council on Global Affairs
Saudi Arabia
SAMREF Refinery, Yanbu
Mar 19 · Drone confirmed by Saudi Defence Ministry
Drone fell at Aramco-ExxonMobil JV refinery (400,000 b/d). Damage assessment underway; industry sources report minimal impact. Yanbu port halted oil loadings.
Saudi Ministry of Defence / Arab News / Reuters
Israel
Bazan (Haifa) Refinery
Mar 19–20 · Iranian missiles
“Non-significant” damage to external infrastructure. Operations expected to resume shortly. No injuries reported.
Israel Energy Ministry / Times of Israel
Kuwait
Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery
Mar 19–20 · Repeated Iranian drone strikes
Fires in multiple units; several units shut down. No injuries reported. Hit on both consecutive days. Kuwait is a non-combatant.
Kuwait KPC / AP / Middle East Eye
Strategic Shift
Analysts describe March 18 as the pivot from targeting leadership and military assets to the Energy Phase — a “tit-for-tat” campaign against the region’s economic backbone. Iran has threatened “zero restraint” on energy facilities of any nation hosting US forces or backing Israel.
Sources
AP · Reuters · Al Jazeera · Bloomberg · CNBC · Fortune · CNN · NPR · Jerusalem Post · Arab News · QatarEnergy (official statements) · Saudi Ministry of Defence · Kuwait KPC · ME Council on Global Affairs · LNG Global crisis memo · Argus Media · EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook (Mar 10, 2026)
5 Key developments
- Energy escalation: Iran’s strike on Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility could cut liquefied natural gas exports by around 17%, raising fears of supply disruptions across Europe and Asia.
- War funding push: The US Department of Defense is seeking $200 billion from Congress to sustain President Donald Trump’s war effort, with officials saying there is no clear timeline for an end to the conflict.
- Rising casualties: The Iranian Red Crescent says at least 204 children are among more than 1,444 people killed in Iran, while over 1,000 people, including 118 children, have died in Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
Regional spillover: The UAE has reportedly arrested members of an Iran-linked network, while Gulf states remain on high alert after intercepting drones. - Global concern: The European Council has called for de-escalation, warning over mounting civilian deaths and the risk of a broader regional crisis.
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