(AFP) – Here are the latest main events related to the war in the Middle East:
**Germany ‘very worried’**
Germany is “very worried” that attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi militants risk escalation of conflicts in the region, the country’s defence minister said Thursday. “Recent developments, specifically concerning the Houthis and Saudi Arabian tankers, raise concerns that an escalation could be imminent,” Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said, adding that the situation has “dire consequences” for those living in the region and global energy supplies.
**Brent hits $100**
The price of the benchmark international oil contract, Brent North Sea, soared more than six percent to reach $100 a barrel in trading after Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck oil tankers in the Red Sea. The main US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, rallied five percent to $91.19 a barrel.
**Lagarde warns of Mideast inflation**
Fresh fighting in the Middle East means inflation could now trend higher than expected, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said. “The risks to the inflation outlook are to the upside,” she told a press conference after the bank announced it was keeping its key deposit rate unchanged, adding that the Houthis’ attack on a Saudi vessel was “alarming”.
**War drives coal higher**
Coal-fired power generation is set to increase by 1.4 percent in 2026, driven by supply difficulties and soaring natural gas prices linked to the Middle East war, the International Energy Agency said. Since March 2026, the Middle East conflict has led to regular blockages of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of liquefied natural gas (LNG) transits, pushing some economies back toward coal.
**Trump threatens Houthis ‘punishment’**
US President Donald Trump threatened Yemen’s Houthi rebels with “major military punishment” after they launched missile and drone strikes at oil tankers in the Red Sea. “The U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis themselves” should the rebels launch further attacks, Trump said on his Truth Social network.
**Drones hit Kuwait-Iraq border**
Kuwait said drones hit its side of the border with Iraq, an incident confirmed by an Iraqi security source, with one Kuwaiti official telling AFP Iran was to blame. “The Al-Abdali border crossing was attacked this afternoon by hostile drones, resulting in material damage, but thankfully no casualties,” a defence ministry spokesman said in a statement.
**EU slams Houthi tanker attack**
The European Union’s top diplomat demanded that the Houthis cease attacks on ships in the Red Sea. “The attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea is unacceptable, illegal and further inflames an already volatile situation in the region,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement.
**Britain withdraws last Iran staff**
Britain said it had withdrawn remaining diplomatic staff from Iran as the conflict between Iran and the United States escalates. “Due to the security situation, UK staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran. Our embassy continues to operate remotely,” the Foreign Office said on its website.
**Sirens in Bahrain**
Bahrain’s interior ministry said air sirens had been triggered, with AFP correspondents hearing the alerts in the capital Manama. The Iranian military has confirmed targeting US assets in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.
**Jordan, Kuwait intercept strikes**
The Jordanian and Kuwaiti militaries reported intercepting salvos of Iranian missiles and drones. Jordan’s army said it had shot down three Iranian missiles early Thursday, while a fourth fell in an uninhabited area. Kuwait’s military said overnight it was also intercepting “hostile drone threats”.
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© 2024 AFP
