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War in the Middle East: latest developments Paris, France, March 19 (AFP) Mar 19, 2026 Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war: - Oil prices soar - Oil prices surged 10 percent after Qatar reported "extensive" damage to the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility following Iranian strikes, sparking fears for global energy supplies. The price of European gas also jumped 35 percent after Tehran carried out attacks on Qatar's huge Ras Laffan LNG facility.
Traffic through the vital strait has been brought to a near-standstill since the start of the war.
Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said a drone crashed into the Samref refinery in the industrial zone of the Red Sea port of Yanbu, adding that damage assessment was underway. Yanbu is the destination of Petroline, the overland oil pipeline that gives Saudi exports an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz -- currently choked off by Iran. In Kuwait, drone attacks sparked blazes at the Mina Abdullah and Mina Al-Ahmadi refineries, which have a combined capacity of 800,000 barrels per day. The state Kuwait National Petroleum Company later said the fires were contained.
"We have always opposed the use of force in international relations. The acts of killing Iranian state leaders and attacking civilian targets are even more unacceptable," China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian.
The Popular Mobilisation Forces blamed the attack on Israel and the United States.
"Civil Defence has fully brought all fires under control in the Ras Laffan Industrial Area without any reported injuries. Cooling and sites-securing operations are still ongoing," it said. Qatar's state-run energy firm said the strikes hit several of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities and caused "extensive" damage.
"The kingdom is not going to succumb to pressure, and on the contrary, this pressure will backfire... and certainly, as we have stated quite clearly, we have reserved the right to take military actions if deemed necessary," he said.
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