Iran-Krieg im Liveticker+++ 10:56 Officer Killed in Drone Strike Near Iraqi Intelligence Headquarters +++
An Iraqi intelligence official was killed in a drone strike near the agency’s headquarters in Baghdad, according to the National Intelligence Service. The drone was reportedly launched by “criminal groups.”
+++ 10:30 Iran Reports Attacks on Uranium Enrichment Facility in Natanz +++
The U.S. And Israel have reportedly attacked the essential Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran, according to Iranian state media. The facility, located approximately 155 miles south of the capital Tehran, was targeted by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes this morning, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization reported via the Tasnim news agency. No radioactive material has been reported to have leaked as a result of the strikes. The heavily secured Natanz nuclear plant, whose existence was revealed in 2002, consists of both above-ground and underground enrichment facilities with nearly 70 cascades containing interconnected centrifuges – totaling over 10,000 individual centrifuges.
+++ 10:22 Putin: Russia is a Reliable Partner of Iran +++
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Iranian leadership on the Nowruz Modern Year and reaffirmed the partnership between the two countries. “Vladimir Putin wishes the Iranian people to endure the difficult trials with dignity and emphasizes that Moscow remains a loyal friend and reliable partner of Tehran in these difficult times,” the Kremlin stated.
+++ 09:55 Security Sources: Drone Strike on Residential Area in Baghdad +++
Amidst the ongoing conflict with Iran, a residential area in Baghdad, Iraq, was reportedly targeted by a drone strike, according to Iraqi security sources. One drone allegedly struck a private sports club popular with the Iraqi elite and foreign diplomats, while another targeted a “communications building” housing an Iraqi security agency that collaborates with U.S. Advisors as part of the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS.
+++ 09:36 Report: Iran Conflict Drives Up Electricity Prices for New Customers in Germany +++
The conflict with Iran and its repercussions are impacting German households signing new electricity contracts. According to an analysis, tariffs for new customers have increased by around 15 percent since the conflict began, as reported by Spiegel, citing data from comparison portal Verivox. The cheapest offers nationwide now start at just under 28 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), compared to around 24 cents per kWh in February. Though, prices remain below the record highs seen during the crisis year of 2022. The recent increase is attributed to a significant rise in wholesale natural gas prices.
+++ 09:13 Report: EU Commission Wants Lower Gas Storage Targets Due to Iran Conflict +++
The EU Commission has urged member states to lower gas storage targets and gradually replenish reserves, according to a report by the Financial Times. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen reportedly advised countries in a letter to reduce the storage target to 80 percent of capacity, 10 percentage points below the official target. This is intended to reassure market participants after the conflict with Iran impacted key suppliers and drove up energy prices.
+++ 08:44 Shift in Approach: Trump Walks Back, Giving Tehran Leeway +++
U.S. President Trump is considering scaling back military strikes against Iran. To lower oil prices, Washington has even temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian oil. Trump stated, however, that others should handle the protection of the Strait of Hormuz.
+++ 08:25 UN Chief Guterres Collaborates with Trump’s Gaza Peace Panel +++
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated he is working with the peace panel for the Gaza Strip established by U.S. President Donald Trump. He welcomed the panel’s goal of funding and implementing a reconstruction plan for Palestinian homes and infrastructure, according to an interview with the news portal “Politico.”
+++ 08:03 Tehran Warns UAE Against Authorizing Attacks on Islands Near Strait of Hormus +++
Iran has warned the United Arab Emirates against allowing attacks on two strategically important islands near the Strait of Hormus from its territory. “If further aggression against the Iranian islands of Abu Musa and Greater Tunb in the Persian Gulf originates from Emirati territory, the powerful Iranian armed forces will cover Ras al-Khaimah in the UAE with heavy attacks,” the Central Deployment Command of the Iranian Army, Khatam al-Anbiya, stated, as reported by the Tasnim news agency. The military statement refers to the Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah.
+++ 07:27 Whistleblower Criticizes U.S. Disregard for Civilian Casualties in Iran +++
A Pentagon whistleblower has raised concerns over alleged disregard for civilian casualties caused by the U.S. In Iran. Wes J. Bryant, a former senior advisor for a civilian casualty center at the Pentagon, stated that his unit was significantly reduced last year due to U.S. Government cuts. He described U.S. Attacks on the Iranian population as “shameful” in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Bryant told Amanpour that his colleagues documented over 80 potential cases of U.S. And Israeli attacks on civilian targets, estimating around 1,800 casualties. He cited the destruction of a girls’ school by a U.S. Strike and a statement by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that enemy fighters would be shown “no mercy” as examples of U.S. Actions in the Iran conflict. The U.S. Military leadership has not acknowledged attacking the school, Bryant criticized.
+++ 07:05 U.S. Releases 45 Million Barrels of Oil from Strategic Reserve +++
The U.S. Government has loaned 45.2 million barrels of crude oil from the strategic reserve to energy companies in an effort to dampen high oil prices. Companies receiving oil include BP, Shell, Marathon Petroleum, and Vitol, according to the Department of Energy. This tranche represents 52 percent of the up to 86 million barrels the government announced last week. The U.S. Plans to develop a total of 172 million barrels available over the current and next year. The oil is part of a release agreed upon with the International Energy Agency. Participating companies must return the oil later with a surcharge of up to 22 percent. The conflict with Iran has caused oil prices to rise sharply.
+++ 06:39 Analysis: Iran Conflict Hits Asia’s Economy Hard +++
The blockade of the Strait of Hormus is particularly impacting economies across Asia and is expected to have consequences for German companies operating there. This is according to an analysis by Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), the federal government’s foreign trade and investment agency. A large portion of Asia’s oil and gas imports reach from the Gulf region. Tankers are avoiding the route due to Iranian threats or a lack of insurance. Air freight costs on the Europe-Asia route have also risen by up to 60 percent recently. Energy-dependent economies like Japan, which sources nearly all of its oil from the Middle East, are particularly affected. The effects are already being felt in South and Southeast Asia: rising energy prices and supply shortages are putting a strain on economies and households.
+++ 06:06 Israel Reports Attacks Against Hezbollah in Beirut +++
The Israeli military has launched attacks against the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Israel is attacking “targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” the Israeli military stated in a brief statement. A military spokesperson called on residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut – a Hezbollah stronghold – to evacuate. In southern Lebanon, one person was killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to Lebanese state media. Hezbollah stated that its fighters targeted Israeli soldiers in six southern Lebanese locations and fired rockets across the border, where air raid sirens were activated, according to Israeli reports.
+++ 05:20 Iran Warns Britain After Shift in Stance on Military Bases +++
Iranian leadership has warned British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that his recent shift in allowing the use of British military bases by the U.S. Will not go without consequences. The majority of Britons do not want to be involved with the Israeli-American war, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi wrote on X. Starmer is putting his own people in danger by allowing “British bases to be used for attacks against Iran.” Iran will “exercise its right to self-defense.” The British government had previously confirmed that the agreement allowing the U.S. To use British bases for collective self-defense in the region also covers defensive operations by the U.S. To weaken the rocket capabilities used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormus.
+++ 04:17 Report: Iran Willing to Allow Japanese Ships Through Strait of Hormus +++
Iran is reportedly willing to allow ships with ties to Japan to pass through the Strait of Hormus. The Iranian government is already in talks with Tokyo about potentially opening the waterway, according to the Japanese news agency Kyodo, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragtschi. Japan imports approximately 95 percent of its oil from the Middle East, with around 90 percent of supplies for the country being transported through the Strait of Hormus, which has been blocked for nearly three weeks.
+++ 03:55 Israel Launches New Attacks on Iran +++
Israel has launched new attacks on Iran. The Israeli army “is attacking targets of the Iranian terror regime in Tehran,” the Israeli military stated. Prior to this, Iranian rockets were reportedly fired at Israel, according to Israeli military reports.
+++ 03:16 Expensive Kerosene: United Airlines Cancels Flights +++
United Airlines is canceling five percent of its flights in the second and third quarters due to the sharply increased kerosene costs resulting from the Iran conflict. The U.S. Company is preparing for an oil price of up to $175 per barrel, which could remain above the $100 mark until the finish of 2027, CEO Scott Kirby stated in a letter to employees. If prices remain at this level, fuel costs would increase by approximately $11 billion annually – more than twice the company’s best year ever. Flights outside of peak hours and capacity at Chicago O’Hare Airport will be cut. Connections to Tel Aviv and Dubai remain suspended.
+++ 02:28 Iran Fires Rockets at Diego Garcia Military Base +++
Iran reportedly fired two medium-range missiles at the U.S.-British military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. However, neither missile hit the base, according to U.S. Government officials. One missile reportedly failed during flight, while a U.S. Warship fired an interceptor missile at the other. The timing of the attack was not specified by the WSJ.
+++ 01:42 New Rocket Attacks from Iran on Israel +++
Iran is once again attacking Israel with rockets. The defense systems are in operation “to intercept the threat,” the Israeli military stated on Telegram. The Saudi Defense Ministry wrote on X that 22 drones were intercepted in the east of the country.
+++ 00:31 U.S. Temporarily Lifts Sanctions on Iranian Oil on Ships +++
In light of the sharply increased energy prices resulting from the Iran conflict, the U.S. Government is temporarily allowing the delivery and sale of Iranian oil that was already loaded onto ships. The permission applies until April 19 to Iranian oil loaded onto ships before March 20, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Last week, the U.S. Granted a similar permit for the sale of Russian oil.
+++ 23:52 Iraq Stops Oil Production by Foreign Companies +++
Due to the escalation of the war between the U.S., Israel and Iran, Iraq has reportedly invoked force majeure for all oil fields developed by foreign companies, according to insiders. Military operations have disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormus and brought most of the country’s oil exports to a standstill, sources said. A letter from the Oil Ministry dated March 17, seen by Reuters, stated that the unprecedented hostilities had severely impacted passage through the strait. As most Iraqi oil exports are routed through this waterway, storage capacities are now exhausted.
+++ 23:00 Trump: U.S. Considers Scaling Back Attacks on Iran +++
U.S. President Trump is considering scaling back military strikes against Iran. The U.S. Is close to achieving its goals in the conflict, he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Points important to the U.S. Include weakening Iran’s missile capabilities, eliminating its air and naval forces, and destroying its arms industry. Iran must not develop nuclear capabilities. Allies in the Middle East must be protected. Regarding the Strait of Hormus, Trump stated that it must be protected by the states that use it – the U.S. Will not do so.
+++ 22:23 Demand for Passages Through Panama Canal Soars +++
Due to the increased number of liquefied natural gas (LNG) transports as a result of the Iran conflict, the Panama Canal is operating at its capacity limit of 36 to 38 transits per day, according to its head, Ricaurte Vasquez. The conflict is driving demand for passages for LNG tankers from the U.S., Vasquez said. The U.S. Is increasingly serving as an alternative energy supplier. The canal will reserve one transit per day specifically for LNG ships, after there were only four per month.
+++ 22:08 More Than 1,000 Dead in Lebanon Since Start of Israeli Attacks +++
Israeli airstrikes have hit the town of Bir al-Salasil in southern Lebanon. According to a report by Al Jazeera, 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of Israeli attacks on the neighboring country.
+++ 21:49 Losses on U.S. Stock Markets – S&P 500 Down 5.4 Percent Since Start of War +++
The major U.S. Stock indices closed the trading day with a significant loss of 1.5 percent. Since the start of the war, the U.S. Benchmark index S&P 500 has fallen by 5.4 percent, the technology-heavy Nasdaq by 4.5 percent, and the leading index Dow Jones by almost seven percent.
+++ 21:34 Britons Allow U.S. To Use Bases for Attacks +++
The British government is allowing the U.S. To use its military bases for attacks on Iranian missile positions threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormus. This was announced after consultations of the British cabinet.
+++ 21:07 Trump Rejects Ceasefire with Iran +++
U.S. President Trump said he does not want a ceasefire with Iran during an impromptu press conference at the White House. “You don’t make a ceasefire when you’re destroying the other side,” he said. He expressed confidence that Israel would also end the war when the U.S. Does.
All previous developments can be found here.
