Iran US war LIVE updates: Iran fires missiles at USS Abraham Lincoln an hour after warning

Iran US war LIVE updates: Japan’s gas demands may fall if the war on Iran continues to curb naphtha supply to petrochemical plants and hits their sales of resins including plastics to a range of manufactures, gas companies said on Wednesday.

Osaka Gas President Masataka Fujiwara said at a briefing that it supplies gas to factories, adding that if those plants are forced to cut production because of shortage of basic materials, then the company’s gas sales will drop.

“There will be an impact if our customers are unable to manufacture,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Iran US war LIVE updates: The Israeli military said on Wednesday that two naval cruise missile production sites in Tehran were struck in recent days.

The sites were reportedly operating under the Iranian defence ministry and being used to develop and manufacture long-range naval cruise missiles capable of hitting targets on land and at sea.

Iran US war LIVE updates: China’s foreign ministry issued a statement on foreign minister Wang Yi’s phone call with Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, and said that Beijing has been “working tirelessly for peace”.

Iran US war LIVE updates: A Thai oil tanker has reportedly safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz after diplomatic coordination between Thailand and Iran, and was also not required to pay a fee to escape the blockade, Reuters reported, citing a Thai official and the oil major that owns the vessel.

The Bangchak Corporation-owned tanker crossed the crucial oil chokepoint on Monday after successful talks between Thai foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Iranian ambassador to Thailand.

“I requested that if Thai ships need to pass through the strait, could they assist in ensuring safe passage?” Sihasak told reporters.

“They responded that they would take care of it and asked us to provide the names of the vessels that would be transiting,” he added.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday briefed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman about Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to mediate talks between Iran and the United States, news agency PTI reported.

In a statement on X, Sharif said that he spoke with the Crown Prince and discussed the regional situation in addition to exchanging traditional Eid greetings.

Sharif said that during the call, he appreciated Saudi Arabia’s restraint, adding that, “I stressed the urgent need for de-escalation, an end to hostilities, and unity in the ranks of the Ummah.”

“I also briefed His Royal Highness on Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach efforts for regional peace and stability. We agreed to remain in close coordination,” he added.

The Pakistani PM also reiterated Islamabad’s strong condemnation of the recent attacks on the Kingdom, and reaffirmed unwavering solidarity and unequivocal support for Saudi Arabia.

Iran US war LIVE updates: North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly defended his country’s decision to maintain nuclear weapons, stating that the ongoing Iran-US war reflects the need for a strong military deterrence.

Kim Jong Un accused the US of carrying out “terrorism and invasions” across different regions, South Korean state-run KCNA reported.

“Dignity, interest and the final victory of a country can only be guaranteed by the most powerful might,” the KCNA quoted Kim as saying. ” Whether the enemies choose confrontation or peaceful coexistence, that’s their choice, and we are ready to respond to any choice,” he added.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Oil prices fell more than 4 per cent on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump’s negotiations claims between Iran and the United States.

Brent crude fell 4.2 per cent to $96.07 per barrel, while the benchmark US crude was down 3.8 per cent early Wednesday to $88.89 per barrel.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has reportedly asked the International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol for an additional coordinated release of oil stockpile.

Takaichi made the request when she met Birol on Wednesday, Jiji Press reported.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Australia’s home affairs minister on Wednesday said that the conflict in Iran has increased the risk that some temporary visa holders might be unable to depart the country when their visas expire, Reuters reported.

Iran US war LIVE updates: As US President Donald Trump reportedly sent a peace plan proposal to Iran, Tehran has said that Washington is in no position to negotiate.

Iran’s military instead launched more attacks on Israel and the Gulf nation, including an assault that triggered a fire at the Kuwait International Airport.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has denied any knowledge of possible peace talks between Iran, the US and Israel.

Talking to reporters, Danon said, “I’m not familiar with our participation in such talks. It’s important to note that we continue with the operation. As we speak, Israel and the US, we continue to target military targets in Iran. We’ll continue to do that. Now, when you speak about negotiations, we know that at the end of any operation or conflict, you have to go to diplomacy.”

“And we will make sure that the outcome will be that Iran will not have the nuclear capability, will not have the ballistic missiles capability, and that we will achieve the goals that we put forward only a month ago. I think we accomplished a lot. I’m not sure that the Iranians realize that, but we accomplished a lot. We have weakened the regime. But we have to make sure that we don’t create the condition for them to go back to where they were. We want to create a different reality on the ground,” he added.

The envoy claimed that Israel had always advocated for peace in the region while the Islamic regime was the opposite.

Iran US war LIVE updates: QatarEnergy on Tuesday said it had determined that it needed to declare force majeure on some of its affected long-term LNG supply contracts, with counterparties including customers in Italy, Belgium, South Korea, and China, Reuters reported.

Iran US war LIVE updates: The missile attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan energy production hub on March 18 and 19 have reportedly caused significant damage.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Israeli strikes killed at least six people in a town in the southern Sidon area, Lebanese state media reported.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) cited the health ministry and said four people were killed in an “Israeli enemy raid” on the town of Adloun.

Iran US war LIVE updates: The Philippines declared a national energy emergency on Wednesday as the conflict in the Middle East region threatened fuel supplies and the country’s economy.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in an executive order late Tuesday that there is an “imminent danger of a critically low energy supply”.

“Urgent measures are necessary” to ensure the stability of energy supplies, continuity of economic activity and the delivery of essential services, he said.

Iran US war LIVE updates: The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it identified missiles launched from Iran towards its country.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Iran’s air defenses reportedly successfully intercepted and destroyed multiple advanced US cruise missiles in the skies near Tehran as well as the airspace over the Markazi Province.

The advanced IRGC air defense systems operating under the unified national air defense network successfully intercepted and destroyed two AGM-158 cruise missiles in Tehran’s vicinity, Press TV reported.

Iran US war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump is simultaneously preparing diplomatic options and military escalation options in the ongoing conflict with Iran, Axios reported, citing US and Israeli officials.

Officials reportedly said that the Trump administration is planning for another two to three weeks of war, even if talks take place.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Strait of Hormuz is not closed to those who respect Iran’s trade and navigational rights.

“The Strait of Hormuz is not closed. Ships hesitate because insurers fear the war of choice you initiated, not Iran,” he said in a post on X.

“No insurer, and no Iranian, will be swayed by more threats. Try respect,” he added.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Iran Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters (the unified combatant command headquarters of the Iranian armed forces) spokesperson took a swipe at the claims of US President Donald Trump that Washington was negotiation with Iran, asserting that the war was coming to an end.

A video posted by Fars News agency showed the military spokesperson taking a jibe at the US, saying that the situation had reached a stage where the Americans were negotiating with themselves.

“The strategic power you used to boast about has now turned into a strategic defeat…Do not label your defeat as an ‘agreement.’ The era of your promises has come to an end. Today, there are two fronts in the world: Truth and Falsehood. No freedom-seeking truth-seeker will be deceived by your media waves. The level of your internal conflicts has reached the stage where you are negotiating with yourselves. There will be no more talk of your investments in the region, nor will you ever see the former prices of energy and oil again, until you understand that stability in this region is guaranteed only by the powerful hand of our armed forces,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that the Iranian forces would never come to terms with the US-Israeli forces.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that it carried 80th wave of strikes against occupied territories in the northern side, hitting US bases across the region.

“Strategic points and military centers located in the northern occupied territories were smashed under the heavy and sustained missile attacks of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force,” IRGC’s statement read, as cited by Press TV.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Israel on Wednesday struck the Iranian capital, Tehran, reported Israeli and Iranian media, even as President Donald Trump said the US was negotiating with Iran to end the war.

The Israeli Defence Forces said in a post on Telegram that it had launched a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran.

Iran’s SNN news agency said the strikes hit a residential area in the city.

Iran US war LIVE updates: A top World Trade Organisation warned that disruptions to fertiliser supplies caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict pose a double threat to global food security through scarcity and high prices.

“Fertilisers are the number one issue of concern today. If there is no more fertiliser, there is an impact on quantities but also on prices,” WTO Deputy Director-General Jean-Marie Paugam told AFP in an interview.

“The effect compounds the following year: harvests shrink and prices rise,” Paugam added.

Iran US war LIVE updates: The price of diesel in Vietnam has more than doubled since the start of the US-Iran war, AFP reported, citing figures from the trade ministry.

Diesel prices skyrocketed about 105 per cent from February 26, two days before the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

Iran US war LIVE updates: Serious concerns over the potential economic fallout on Pakistan are emerging as tensions escalate between Iran and the US.

Experts are reportedly warning of severe economic and social consequences if negotiations fail.