$200 oil no longer looks unthinkable as Gulf supply threats intensify
Oil prices jumped again on Thursday as traders digested fresh attacks on energy sites across the Gulf, and the idea of $200 crude is now part of serious market discussion. Brent rose as high as $112.86 a barrel before easing to about $112, after Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field and Iran answered with attacks on facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
March 19, 2026
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First deadly Iranian strike on West Bank kills three Palestinian women
Three Palestinian women were killed and 13 other people injured when debris from an Iranian missile, or possibly a submunition from a cluster warhead, struck a women’s hair salon in the occupied West Bank late Wednesday, in what appears to be the first Iranian attack of the war to cause Palestinian deaths there. Reuters reported that the strike hit the town of Beit Awwa, southwest of Hebron, and cited the Palestinian Red Crescent as confirming the fatalities.
March 19, 2026
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Brazilian police raid in Rio kills at least eight, including gang leader
At least eight people were killed during a police raid in central Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, in the latest deadly security operation to hit the city’s favela communities. Brazilian authorities said the raid targeted Claudio Augusto dos Santos, an alleged leader of the Red Command, one of the country’s most powerful criminal groups.
March 19, 2026
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Saudi Arabia warns Iran of possible action as Gulf attacks shatter trust
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has issued one of Riyadh’s sharpest warnings yet to Iran, saying Gulf states have shown restraint after recent attacks but that their patience is “not unlimited” as regional tensions deepen. His remarks came after a meeting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Riyadh and followed fresh strikes on energy facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
March 19, 2026
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Iran war enters day 19 after assassinations trigger fresh regional escalation
The war between Iran, Israel and the United States entered its 19th day on Wednesday with fresh Iranian missile attacks on Israel, widening regional spillover across the Gulf, and growing political strain in Washington after a senior US counterterrorism official resigned over the conflict. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Israel said it had effectively gained the upper hand in the war, though key objectives remained unmet and fighting was continuing across multiple fronts.
March 18, 2026
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Iran launches missile barrage at Israel after killing of senior Iranian leaders
Iran launched a retaliatory missile attack on central Israel early Wednesday after the killings of senior Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, in a sharp escalation of the war between Iran and Israel. Iranian state messaging and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps framed the strike as revenge for Larijani’s death, while Israeli and international reports said at least two people were killed near Tel Aviv.
March 18, 2026
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Joe Kent resigns as Trump’s counterterrorism chief over Iran war
Joe Kent, the director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned in protest over President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, becoming the first senior official in the administration to step down over the conflict. In his resignation letter, Kent said he could not support the war and argued that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States. Reuters reported that the White House rejected Kent’s claim and said Trump had acted on what it described as strong evidence of an imminent danger.
March 18, 2026
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Xi’s anti corruption purge reaches top Chinese military commanders
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s long running anti corruption campaign has widened further inside the People’s Liberation Army, with senior active and retired officers absent from this month’s annual “two sessions” meetings in Beijing and growing scrutiny over the fate of some of the country’s most powerful military figures. Recent reporting says the sweep now reaches beyond procurement and internal administration into the upper command structure of the armed forces.
March 18, 2026
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Iran says Larijani killing will not destabilise state system
Iran’s foreign minister has said the killing of Ali Larijani, one of the country’s most senior security officials, will not deal a decisive blow to the Islamic Republic’s leadership, insisting the state’s political system is built on institutions rather than any one individual.