International
BREAKING: Explosions rock Qatar as Israel targets Hamas ‘leadership’ in airstrike
Israel has carried out a targeted strike against senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday, marking a dramatic escalation in regional tensions and the first known Israeli military action on Qatari soil.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation in a statement posted on X, stating it had “conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization.” While the post did not explicitly name Doha, a senior Israeli official confirmed the location of the strike.
Footage circulating on social media showed smoke rising above parts of Doha, with multiple explosions reportedly heard in the city. The Qatari Foreign Ministry swiftly condemned the strike, describing it as a “cowardly Israeli attack” that targeted residential buildings housing members of Hamas’s political bureau. Officials called it “a blatant violation of all international laws and norms.”
A second Israeli official said the strike had been coordinated with the United States. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office insisted the attack was entirely an Israeli initiative, stating on X: “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
Hamas leaders have long operated out of Qatar, which has also served as a key mediator in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, particularly over efforts to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attacks.
The IDF emphasized that it used “precise munitions and additional intelligence” to minimize civilian casualties during the operation.
The U.S. Embassy in Doha issued a security alert following reports of missile strikes in the city, urging American citizens to shelter in place and monitor official channels for updates.
The unprecedented Israeli strike inside the Gulf state represents a significant shift in the dynamics of the ongoing conflict and threatens to further destabilize an already volatile Middle East.
International
Trump says he thinks Putin is helping Iran
“I think he might be helping them a bit, yeah.”“I guess, and he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?”
President Donald Trump on Friday said he believed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is helping Iran in its war against the United States and Israel.
According to CNBC, Trump’s comment came in a radio interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, and a week after the president lashed out at Fox News reporter Peter Doocy for asking him at the White House about reports that Russia was aiding Iran.
Kilmeade asked Trump on Friday: “You think Putin is helping them?”
Trump replied, “I think he might be helping them a bit, yeah.”“I guess, and he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?” Trump continued.
“Yeah, we’re helping them also,” Trump said, referring to Ukraine, which has been at war against Russia since being invaded in early 2022.
“So he [Putin] says that, and China would say the same thing, you know,” Trump told Kilmeade.
“It’s like, ‘Hey, they do it, and we do it, in all fairness,’ ” Trump said. “They do it, and we do it.”
International
IEA agrees to release record 400 million barrels of oil to address Iran war supply disruptions
The IEA did not set out a timeline for when the stocks would hit the market
Merchant ship on fire hits by Iran in Strait of Hormuz.
The International Energy Agency on Wednesday agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil to address the supply disruption triggered by the Iran war, the largest such action in the organization’s history.
The IEA did not set out a timeline for when the stocks would hit the market.
It said that the reserves would be released over a time frame that is appropriate to the circumstances of each of its 32 member countries.
IEA members are primarily advanced economies in Europe, North America and northeast Asia. The organization is tasked with maintaining global energy security.
It was founded in 1974 in response to the oil embargo imposed by Arab producers over U.S. support for Israel during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
(CNBC)
International
Iran tells world to get ready for oil at $200 a barrel as it fires on merchant ships
The war unleashed with joint U.S. and Israeli air strikes nearly two weeks ago has so far killed around 2,000 people, mostly Iranians and Lebanese, as it has spread into Lebanon and thrown global energy markets and transport into chaos.
(REUTERS): Iran said the world should be ready for oil at $200 a barrel as its forces hit merchant ships on Wednesday and the International Energy Agency recommended a massive release of strategic reserves to dampen one of the worst oil shocks since the 1970s.
The war unleashed with joint U.S. and Israeli air strikes nearly two weeks ago has so far killed around 2,000 people, mostly Iranians and Lebanese, as it has spread into Lebanon and thrown global energy markets and transport into chaos.
Despite what the Pentagon has described as the most intense airstrikes since the start of the war, Iran also fired at Israel and targets across the Middle East on Wednesday, demonstrating it can still fight back.
On Wednesday, three vessels were reported to have been hit in Gulf waters as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their forces had fired on ships in the Gulf that had disobeyed their orders.
While Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation “will continue without any time limit, as long as required, until we achieve all objectives and win the campaign,” Trump suggested the campaign would not last much longer.
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Iran tells world to get ready for oil at $200 a barrel as it fires on merchant ships