Iran Escalates Attacks on Gulf Energy Targets, Driving Oil Prices Back Above $100 a Barrel
Iran unleashed a fresh wave of strikes on energy infrastructure across Gulf nations early Thursday, torching fuel storage facilities, hitting tankers, and intensifying disruptions in the Persian Gulf. The attacks pushed global oil prices surging once more, with Brent crude briefly topping $100 per barrel amid fears of prolonged supply shortages. Iranian forces, responding to ongoing US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory, targeted key sites in several Gulf states. In Bahrain, a major fire erupted at fuel tanks near Muharraq (close to the international airport), blanketing the area in thick smoke and prompting health warnings for residents to seal windows. Bahraini authorities released footage showing the blaze raging at a storage facility. In Oman, emergency crews battled lingering flames at fuel tanks in the port of Salalah following earlier drone strikes, while officials ordered precautionary evacuations at a key oil export terminal. Reports also emerged of attacks on sh...