Iran-US war latest: Massive Kuwaiti oil tanker off Dubai port hit as Trump issues fresh warning to Tehran

Europe should prepare for a “prolonged disruption” to energy markets as a result of the Iran war, the bloc’s energy chief has warned.

EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said in a letter to ministers that while the fallout on Europe’s energy supplies is currently contained, governments are “encouraged to make timely preparations in anticipation of a potentially prolonged disruption”.

Three Chinese ships have recently passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry revealed on Tuesday as global transit remains heavily disrupted.

The spokesperson added that China appreciates the assistance provided by the relevant parties.

The UAE is reporting that its defence systems are dealing with new missile and drone threats from Iran.

This news is breaking: more to follow.

Images of the wrecked U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry aircraft show a broken tail that appears to have been severed entirely from the body of the plane.

The Boeing aircraft — a key part of the military’s airborne warning and control system, or AWACS — is capable of tracking hundreds of targets at a time while monitoring thousands of square miles. The plane itself serves as an airborne command post with a distinctive rotating radar dome above the fuselage.

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President Donald Trump is threatening to deploy ground troops to seize critical oil infrastructure on Iran’s Kharg Island, a military gambit that experts say would risk American lives and could still fail to end the war.

If Trump wants to hobble Iran’s oil industry for leverage in negotiations, a better option might be setting up a blockade at sea against ships that have filled up at Kharg Island’s oil terminals, the experts said.

“Putting people on the ground might be the most psychologically compelling way of striking a blow at Iran,” said Michael Eisenstadt, a former US military analyst who now directs the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“On the other hand, you’re putting your own troops at jeopardy,” said Eisenstadt, a retired Army reserve officer who served in Iraq. “It’s not far from the mainland. So they can potentially rain a lot of destruction on the island, if they’re willing to inflict damage on their own infrastructure.

“Seizing Kharg Island could escalate the conflict, said Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies.

He said Iran and its proxies — including Yemen’s Houthi rebels — could intensify their retaliation, including by laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and striking targets with drones across the Arabian Peninsula, from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea.

South Korea proposed a supplementary government budget of $17.3bn this morning to support consumers and companies hit by the war in the Middle East.

A surge in oil ⁠prices sparked by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has raised growth and inflation risks for Asia’s fourth-largest economy, which is also the world’s fourth-largest importer of oil, with 70 per cent of its purchases coming from the Middle East.

It is the second extra budget in less than a year under the administration of president Lee Jae Myung, who has pledged to pursue an ⁠expansionary fiscal policy to spur economic growth since taking office ​last ⁠June.”Beyond economic data, difficulties and anxiety felt by our people and companies are deepening more than ever,” said budget minister Park Hong Keun.

“A pre-emptive response is more important than anything else.”The spending plan ⁠of 26.2 trillion won ($17.3bn) includes 10.1 trillion won of measures responding to high oil prices, 2.8 trillion ​won ⁠of support for low-income earners and young people, ‌and 2.6 trillion won for companies affected by the Middle East conflict, according to the budget ministry.

Among major measures, the government plans to spend 5.0 trillion won to make up for oil refiners’ losses incurred ‌by nationwide price caps introduced this month for the first time ‌in nearly 30 years.

It will also allocate 4.8 trillion won to provide financial support in the form of consumer vouchers worth 100,000 won to 600,000 won per person depending on income and region, excluding those in the top 30% nationwide by income.

Two more members of the Iranian exile group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq were hanged this morning in Iran, state media reported.

The two men were identified as Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi.

Amnesty International has said Tehran’s Revolutionary Court convicted the men on charges of armed rebellion against the state “following a grossly unfair trial in October 2024” after they were subjected to torture.

Spain has closed its airspace to US planes involved in the Iran war, defence minister Margarita Robles said, marking another step in the country’s opposition to the US and Israel’s conflict in the Middle East.

Spain had already said the US could not use jointly operated military bases in the Iran conflict, which Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has described as illegal, reckless and unjust.

Defence minister Robles said Monday the same logic applied to the use of Spanish airspace in the conflict.

The budget airline JetBlue has increased its checked baggage fees by at least $4 as it grapples with the spiraling price of jet fuel due to President Donald Trump’s war on Iran.

JetBlue’s website now shows a minimum charge of $39 for your first checked bag, including a $10 discount for pre-booking online — up $4 from its previous price of $35.

At peak times, such as during summer and on major U.S. holidays, the fee will rise from $40 to $49.

“As we experience rising operating costs, we regularly evaluate how to manage those costs while keeping base fares competitive and continuing to invest in the experience our customers value,” a spokesperson told The Independent.