RTL Nieuws · · Aangepast:
The U.S. Department of Defense is seeking $200 billion for the conflict in Iran, according to a U.S. Newspaper. Meanwhile, President Trump is reportedly considering deploying additional troops to the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Trump and the leader of Qatar overnight, urging a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure following strikes on gas facilities in both Qatar and Iran. Follow all developments in our liveblog.
The conflict in the Persian Gulf is escalating, with the United States potentially increasing its financial and military commitment. The situation threatens global energy supplies and raises concerns about wider regional instability. President Trump is contemplating sending more troops to the Middle East as the U.S. Department of Defense requests $200 billion to support operations related to the conflict in Iran, a U.S. Newspaper reported. This comes after an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars field, a shared gas reservoir with Qatar, triggered retaliatory attacks from Iran. Iran’s response included ballistic missile strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan, one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export terminals, and attacks on other Gulf energy infrastructure. QatarEnergy reported on Thursday, March 19, 2026, that the attacks caused “sizeable fires and extensive further damage” at multiple LNG facilities, following an initial missile attack on Wednesday that caused “extensive damage” to the Pearl GTL facility. No casualties have been reported so far. President Trump stated that the U.S. Had no prior knowledge of Israel’s attack on the South Pars field and declared there would be “no more” such attacks. Yet, he warned that if Iran were to “unwisely decide to attack” Qatar, the U.S. “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,” as reported by CBS News. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for de-escalation, speaking with both President Trump and Qatar’s leader to urge an end to attacks on energy facilities. The development underscores growing regional tensions and the potential for further disruption to global energy markets. Despite U.S. And Israeli strikes targeting senior Iranian leaders, the U.S. Director of national intelligence indicated at a Senate hearing that the Iranian regime “appears to be intact,” though “largely degraded.” President Trump has also suggested that other nations should take responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway currently facing an effective closure that is driving up gas prices in the U.S. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said allies are discussing the “best way” to reopen the waterway. Politico reports that Trump also threatened to blow up Iran’s South Pars gas field if Tehran attacks Qatar again. CNBC TV18 also covered the threat.
