US/Israel-Iran War (Day 21): Iran vows zero restraint if energy facilities are targeted again

Over 1,500 people have now been confirmed dead in the war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran.

Also, attacks on major gas facilities in four Middle Eastern countries are worsening the war’s economic impact.

The war entered its twenty-first day today (Friday).

Strikes are intensifying, casualties rising, with the majority of them in Iran. More than 1,500 people have been confirmed dead from the war, with over 1,400 of them killed in Iran.

We bring you major updates on the war on its 20th day.

Iran missile hits Israel’s refinery

A missile launched by Iran struck an oil refinery in the Israeli port city of Haifa on Thursday, partially disrupting operations.

This marks a sharp escalation in tensions as Haifa is a critical hub for Israel.

The port is home to key naval assets, submarines, and major petrochemical facilities central to its economy and security.

Al Jazeera reports Iranian strikes appear to be increasing in frequency and effectiveness, while Israel’s interception rates have dropped

The strike caused power outages and damage in Israel.

Attack on energy infrastructure in the Gulf continues

Attacks on energy infrastructures in the Gulf have continued. Several attacks were reported in the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.

The UAE air defences intercepted a missile threat early Friday morning, according to Al Jazeera.

Saudi Arabia reported that it spent the early hours of Friday intercepting more than 20 drones. Loud explosions were heard in Kuwait overnight.

The Ministry of Interior of Bahrain said Iranian missiles were fired at targets in the country, and a warehouse was hit by falling shrapnel, causing a fire.

The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation has shut down the Mina al-Ahmadi refinery.

The corporation said refineries in the country have been subjected to several drone attacks since Friday.

Impact of the LNG attack on Saudi Arabia

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Iran’s retaliatory attack on Thursday wiped out 17 per cent of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas capacity.

Two of Qatar’s 14 LNG production trains, along with one of its two gas-to-liquids (GTL) plants, have been damaged.

As a result, 12.8 million tonnes per year of LNG capacity will be removed from the market for an estimated three to five years while repairs are carried out.

The attack is estimated to cost the country around $20 billion in lost annual revenue.

Iran threatens zero restraint in retaliation

Meanwhile, Iran has warned that it will show “zero restraint” should its energy facilities be targeted again.

PREMIUM TIMES reported Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gasfield. In retaliation, Tehran hit energy facilities across the region.

The Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a post on Thursday, said that it would retaliate with more force should Israel target its facility again.

“Our response to Israel’s attack on our infrastructure employed a fraction of our power. The ONLY reason for restraint was respect for requested de-escalation,” he said.

Netanyahu says Israel will heed Trump’s warning

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Thursday that Israel unilaterally decided to attack Iran’s energy infrastructure.

Mr Netanyahu, confirming President Donald Trump’s previous statement, said the US was unaware of Israel’s decision to attack the infrastructure and that it acted alone.

He, however, promised the country would heed Mr Trump’s call and not repeat the attack.

The prime minister said Israel and the US were “destroying the factories that produce the components to make missiles, wiping out their industrial base in a way we didn’t before”, claiming that Iran’s “command and control structure is in utter chaos.”

Hegeseth says war has no timeframe

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war, which is disrupting global energy supplies, has “no timeframe” despite multiple calls for a return to negotiations.

He said this on Thursday while speaking on the $200 billion fund request.

Sustaining the war is now becoming more expensive for the US, with the Pentagon requesting more than $200 billion.

The New York Times reports that the request was sent to the White House, where it will be reviewed before it is formally submitted to Congress.

Quoting officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, the New York Times reports that the sum requested is nearly a quarter of the US’s entire annual defence budget.

“Obviously, it takes money to kill bad guys,” Mr Hegseth said when asked about the request.

“As far as $200bn, I think that number could move.

“We’re going back to Congress and folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future,” he said.

Rising toll

The number of casualties in the war is rising. According to the Iranian Red Crescent, the number of children killed by US-Israel strikes has risen to 204.

The death toll in Iran now exceeds 1,500, with 18,551 people injured.

In Lebanon, more than 1,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, including 118 children.

At least 13 US Soldiers have died in the war. More than 200 others are injured.

In Israel, 18 people have been killed, with 3730 others injured.

UN chief urged an end to the war

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has asked the United States and Israel to put an end to their three-week-old war on Iran, which has led to the death of over 2,000 people across West Asia.

Mr Guterres, in his address at the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Thursday, said the war risks getting out of control and hurting more civilians in the region.

“First, to the United States & Israel: It’s high time to end this war that is risking getting out of control, causing immense suffering to civilians,” he said.

The UN chief said the war risks having “dramatic effects on the global economy & potentially tragic consequences, especially for the least developed countries.”

US to ‘un-sanction’ Iranian oil

Amid the global oil disruption caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the United States is considering removing restrictions on Iranian oil that is already at sea.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent disclosed this during an interview with Fox News on Thursday.

He said the US may ease sanctions on Iranian oil and use it to “keep global oil prices down” over the next couple of weeks.

“In the coming days, we may unsanction Iranian oil that is on the water,” he said, noting that there are about 140 million barrels of oil currently floating at sea.

Eid prayers affected by war

The war has disrupted Eid celebrations in the Gulf.

Al Jazeera reports that Iranians, who are marking a double festival — Nowruz and Eid al-Fitr— are not allowed to celebrate on the streets and have been instructed to remain indoors.

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In the UAE, there will be no outdoor Eid prayers, contrary to Islamic tradition. Authorities have asked that prayers be held indoors in mosques due to the war.

Kuwait has also declared that the Grand Mosque will not receive worshippers this year for Eid prayers.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israeli forces have stopped Palestinians from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is considered the third-holiest site in Islam.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Israel had closed down the site, alongside all other holy sites in the East of Jerusalem, over concerns these areas are susceptible to attacks.