China calls killing of Iran's Larijani, leaders 'unacceptable'

This live blog follows updates for Day 20 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 19, go here.

• Drone crashes at Saudi oil refinery at Red Sea port of Yanbu: Ministry
• Fire erupts after drone hits second Kuwait oil refinery: Authorities
• China calls killing of Iran's Larijani, leaders 'unacceptable'
• Drone attack on Kuwait oil refinery sparks fire: State media
• Iranian strikes cause extensive damage at major Qatar gas hub

Drone crashes at Saudi oil refinery at Red Sea port of Yanbu: Ministry

Published March 19, 2026 | 09:08 GMT

A drone crashed into the Saudi oil refinery Samref in the industrial zone of the Red Sea port of Yanbu, the defence ministry said, adding that a damage assessment was underway.

Earlier Thursday, the ministry said on X that it had intercepted a ballistic missile targeting the port.

The Samref refinery is owned by the Saudi state energy giant Aramco and the Mobil Yanbu Refining Company, a subsidiary of US company ExxonMobil.

Fire erupts after drone hits second Kuwait oil refinery: Authorities

Published March 19, 2026 | 09:00 GMT

A fire erupted at a second refinery owned by Kuwait's national oil company after a drone attack, the information ministry said.

"One of the operational units of the Mina Abdullah refinery, belonging to the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) was targeted by a drone attack, triggering a fire at the site," the ministry said on X.

The company's other oil refinery, Mina Al-Ahmadi, was also struck by a drone on Thursday, sparking a small blaze.

China calls killing of Iran's Larijani, leaders 'unacceptable'

Published March 19, 2026 | 09:00 GMT

China condemned on Thursday the killing of Iranian national security chief Ali Larijani by an Israeli air strike, calling it "unacceptable".

Beijing is a partner of Iran but has also criticized Tehran's strikes against Gulf states housing US military bases.

Larijani was the highest-profile Iranian killed since supreme leader Ali Khamenei and other senior figures killed during a wave of US and Israeli strikes when the war started on Feb. 28.

"We have always opposed the use of force in international relations. The acts of killing Iranian state leaders and attacking civilian targets are even more unacceptable," China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference when asked about Larijani's death.

"China urges the parties concerned to immediately cease military operations and prevent the regional situation from spiralling out of control", Lin said.

Beijing has sought to mediate in the war, with its special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, travelling across the region this month to meet top officials.

His trip included stops in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Egypt.

Drone attack on Kuwait oil refinery sparks fire: State media

Published March 19, 2026 | 09:00 GMT

A drone attack on a refinery owned by Kuwait's national oil company on Thursday sparked a fire at one of the units, state-media said.

"Kuwait Petroleum Corporation announced that one of the operational units of the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery... was the target of a drone attack, triggering a limited fire," the Kuwait News Agency said, adding that no one was injured.

Iranian strikes cause extensive damage at major Qatar gas hub

Published March 19, 2026 | 05:39 GMT

Two waves of Iranian strikes caused "extensive damage" at Qatar's main gas hub, the country's state-run energy firm said on Thursday, with President Donald Trump warning Iran against further attacks on the facility.

Iran had vowed to target energy infrastructure across the Gulf after a strike that Trump said was carried out by Israel on Iranian facilities at South Pars field, Iran's part of the world's largest known gas reserve.

Missile strikes on the Ras Laffan Industrial City on Qatar's north coast on Wednesday caused damage to a gas-to-liquids facility and early on Thursday sparked "sizeable fires and extensive further damage" to several liquified natural gas facilities, QatarEnergy said in a statement.

Qatar's interior ministry said crews brought all fires under control at the Ras Laffan site, without reporting any injuries.

The country's defense ministry said Qatar was attacked by ballistic missiles from Iran, targeting the energy hub.

While the UK maritime agency reported on Thursday that a projectile hit a vessel near Ras Laffan and that all crew were safe.

Qatar is one of the world's top liquefied natural gas producers, alongside the United States, Australia and Russia.

Trump on his Truth Social platform threatened to "massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field" if any further attacks took place at Ras Laffan.

He said Israel was responsible for the strike on South Pars. Israel's government has not commented.

Cathay suspends Dubai, Riyadh flights until April 30 over war

Published March 19, 2026 | 05:15 GMT

Hong Kong aviation giant Cathay Pacific has suspended flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh until the end of April over the war in the Middle East.

"In view of the developing situation in the Middle East", all Cathay Pacific flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh will be suspended "up to and including 30 April 2026", the company said in separate statements on Wednesday.

"Further changes to our flight schedule may be needed in the coming days," it added.

Customers looking to change their flights to and from the Middle East would not face rebooking, rerouting or refund charges, it said.

Saudi Arabia reserves 'right to take military actions' over Iran attacks: FM

Published March 19, 2026 | 05:00 GMT

Saudi Arabia has not ruled out military action in response to repeated missile and drone attacks from Iran, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting in Riyadh of foreign ministers from the region, Prince Faisal said that Iran "tries to pressure its neighbours" with attacks.

"The kingdom is not going to succumb to pressure, and on the contrary, this pressure will backfire... and certainly, as we have stated quite clearly, we have reserved the right to take military actions if deemed necessary," he said.

Saudi Arabia reported more Iranian attacks on Wednesday, as the foreign minister hosted his counterparts from about a dozen Arab and Islamic countries for talks on the fallout from the Middle East war.

Several strong blasts were heard in the Saudi capital on Wednesday, according to AFP journalists, while the defence ministry said it had intercepted ballistic missiles.

"The targeting of Riyadh while a number of diplomats are meeting... I think that's the clearest signal of how Iran feels about diplomacy," Prince Faisal said.

"It doesn't believe in talking to its neighbours."

The Saudi foreign minister condemned the repeated "targeting of civilian sites" across the Gulf, dismissing Iran's justification that it was targeting US interests in the region as "weak".

"Neither Saudi Arabia nor the Gulf states would accept... blackmail, and escalation will be met with escalation," he said.

A joint statement from the foreign ministers' meeting in Riyadh condemned "the deliberate use of ballistic missiles and drones targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure, including oil facilities, desalination plants, airports, residential facilities and diplomatic missions".

The ministers "affirmed that such attacks cannot be justified under any circumstances and reiterated the right of states to defend themselves", the statement added, calling on Iran to "immediately cease its attacks" and de-escalate tensions.

Trump vows to destroy Iran gas field if Qatar plant hit again

Published March 19, 2026 | 02:33 GMT

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to destroy Iran's key South Pars gas field if there were further attacks against Qatar's main gas plant.

Trump confirmed on his Truth Social platform that Israel had struck the South Pars field but said the United States "knew nothing" of the attack, which spurred Iran to launch an attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan facility.

"NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar - In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before," the US president wrote.

QatarEnergy says new missile attacks cause 'extensive' damage to gas facilities

Published March 19, 2026 | 02:27 GMT

Qatar's state-run energy firm said new strikes on the Gulf nation's main gas hub on Thursday caused "extensive" damage.

QatarEnergy said in a statement that early Thursday "several of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities were the subject of missile attacks, causing sizeable fires and extensive further damage" after a previous attack.

The company noted that the earlier attack on the Ras Laffan Industrial City on Wednesday had already caused extensive damage to a gas-to-liquids facility.

Brent crude soars more than 5% on fresh Mideast supply fears

Published March 19, 2026 | 02:24 GMT

Brent crude oil soared more than five percent on Thursday on fresh worries about energy supplies from the Middle East after Iran threatened to hit Gulf facilities in retaliation to an attack on one of its key gas fields.

The contract jumped 5.1 percent to $112.84, while West Texas Intermediate was up 2.5 percent at $98.69 in Asian trade.

Iran state TV says Qatar gas facility struck again

Published March 19, 2026 | 02:00 GMT

Iranian state television said Thursday that a missile struck Qatar's main gas facility again, hours after it was hit in a destructive strike that Doha said caused extensive damage.

"Qatar's Ras Laffan refinery Hit by Missile Again, burning," the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting posted on Telegram.

Qatar says Iran missile attack on main gas hub causes damage

Published March 19, 2026 | 01:15 GMT

An Iranian missile attack caused damage at Qatar's main gas facility on its north coast, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

The "State of Qatar was attacked (by) ballistic missiles, from Iran, which targeted Ras Laffan Industrial City and caused damages", the Qatari defence ministry posted on X.

Qatar had said overnight that attacks on the gas facility were a "direct threat" to its national security.

Abu Dhabi closes gas facility due to falling missile debris

Published March 19, 2026 | 00:44 GMT

Abu Dhabi has shut down operations at a gas facility due to falling debris from missile interceptions, the Emirati capital's media office said on Thursday.

"Abu Dhabi authorities are responding to incidents at the Habshan gas facilities and at the Bab (oil) field caused by falling debris from the successful interception of missiles," Abu Dhabi's media office posted on X.

"The gas facilities have been shut down," it said, adding no injuries had been reported.

The United Arab Emirates' foreign ministry expressed "strong condemnation" of the attack, which it blamed on Iran.

"These attacks constitute a serious escalation and a violation of the principles of international law," the ministry said in a statement posted on X.

Iran targets Gulf energy sites after gas field strike

Published March 19, 2026 | 00:39 GMT

Iran targeted energy facilities across the Gulf and threatened further destructive attacks after a key gas field was hit, raising fears Thursday of a wider assault on fuel supplies that could jolt already rattled global markets.

Tehran, following a strike on its South Pars field, said it would respond forcefully to any further attacks on its energy sector.

"We warn you once again that you made a big mistake in attacking the energy infrastructure of the Islamic republic," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

"If it is repeated again, further attacks on your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will not stop until it is completely destroyed."

The Israeli military did not comment on the South Pars attack, while US officials said Washington was aware but not involved.

Projectile hits vessel off UAE, near Hormuz Strait: UK maritime agency

Published March 19, 2026 | 00:32 GMT

A projectile has hit a vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates near the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire, a British naval maritime security agency said Thursday.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report at 2300 GMT on Wednesday "that a vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile which has resulted in a fire on board" off the UAE port of Khor Fakkan in the Gulf of Oman.

US oil prices rise 3% at open amid fears of Middle East escalation

Published March 19, 2026 | 00:10 GMT

The price of the main US benchmark for crude oil rose more than three percent on Thursday following strikes against energy infrastructure in Iran and Qatar.

At around 2230 GMT, a few minutes after the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) reopened, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contract was up 3.15 percent at $99.35 a barrel.

Pro-Iran Iraqi armed group says will stop US embassy attacks, under conditions

Published March 19, 2026 | 00:00 GMT

An influential pro-Iranian armed group in Iraq pledged early Thursday to stop attacking the US embassy for five days, presenting a series of conditions.

Kataeb Hezbollah said the group's secretary-general had "issued orders to suspend operations targeting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for a period of five days", but stipulated several conditions, notably preventing Israeli bombing of a southern Beirut neighbourhood, and "a commitment to refrain from bombing residential areas in Baghdad and other provinces".

AFP reported no drone or rocket attacks so far on the US embassy in Iraq's capital Baghdad between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.