Iran attacked commercial ships on Wednesday across the Persian Gulf and targeted Dubai International Airport, escalating a campaign of squeezing the oil-rich region as global energy concerns mounted and American and Israeli airstrikes pounded the Islamic Republic.Two Iranian drones hit near Dubai International Airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates and the world’s busiest for international travel. Four people were wounded, but flights continued, the Dubai Media Office said.Iran’s joint military command announced it would start targeting banks and financial institutions in the Middle East. That would put at risk, particularly Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, which is home to many international financial institutions, as well as Saudi Arabia and the island kingdom of Bahrain.Earlier, a projectile hit a Thai cargo ship off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, setting it ablaze. Authorities are searching for three missing crew members from the Mayuree Naree after 20 were rescued by the Omani navy, according to Thailand’s Marine Department.Kuwait said its defences downed eight Iranian drones and Saudi Arabia said it intercepted five heading toward the kingdom’s Shaybah oil field.Iran has effectively stopped cargo traffic in the narrow strait through which about a fifth of all oil is shipped. It has also targeted oil fields and refineries in Gulf Arab nations, aiming at generating enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel to end their strikes. — with AgenciesJapan plans to start releasing its own oil reservesMarch 11, 2026 10:06 pmJapanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday that her country will start releasing its own oil reserves starting Monday to minimize the fallout of the war in the Middle East. More than 90 per cent of Japan’s oil imports come from the Middle East, most of the shipment pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Japan has oil reserves worth 254 days. With the strait virtually being blocked, however, oil imports to Japan are expected to significantly decrease from the end of March, Takaichi said.Iran threatens to stop all oil shipments through the Strait of HormuzMarch 11, 2026 10:06 pmIran threatened to not allow “even a single litre of oil” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz for the US, Israel, or their allies. A spokesperson for Khatam Al-Anbia, which operates the Revolutionary Guard-owned companies, said any ship or oil cargo that belongs to the US, Israel, or its allies will be a legitimate target. Under normal circumstances, around 20 per cent of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped through the narrow channel that leads to the Persian Gulf. Fears about the geopolitical situation have caused the price of oil to swing wildly.Iran questions World Cup participationMarch 11, 2026 10:06 pmThe head of Iran’s Football Federation raised doubts about whether Iran will take part in the World Cup that will be held across North America in June, after several members of the Iranian women’s soccer team sought asylum in Australia. Mehdi Taj told Iranian state media in an interview broadcast on Tuesday that members of the women’s soccer were coerced into staying in Australia, and accused Trump of interfering, referring to the soccer players as “hostages.” Iran is scheduled to play its first match against New Zealand on June 16 in Los Angeles. “If the outlook for the World Cup is like this, no reasonable person would accept to send their national team to such a place,” he said.Iranian women’s soccer team staying in Malaysia until it’s safe to travel homeMarch 11, 2026 10:01 pmThe team members who didn’t request asylum in Australia may remain in Malaysia longer as Asian football authorities explore options for their onward travel. “There is a possibility that they may remain in Malaysia longer if necessary,” Asian Football Confederation secretary-general Windsor John told the Scoop online news portal. He was quoted as saying that the AFC was also discussing with several countries in Asia about temporarily hosting the team.Monitors report a dozen incidents involving vessels since the war beganMarch 11, 2026 10:00 pmAt least 12 incidents have been confirmed involving vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, according to two global trackers. The International Maritime Organisation reports 12 involving merchant vessels as of Wednesday. IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez earlier said at least seven mariners had been killed. And the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, run by the British military, says it has received 17 reports of incidents affecting vessels in and around the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman as of Wednesday. It lists 13 attacks and four others as “suspicious activity,” involving tankers, tugs, cargo and other vessels.Netanyahu adviser says Iranians must seize their future as ‘plan B’ not an optionMarch 11, 2026 10:00 pmMichael Eisenberg, general manager of the Aleph venture capital fund, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he hopes Iranians will seize this opportunity to claim their freedom, as it’s currently the only option on the table. He said the war’s goals include enabling the Iranian people to take hold of their future in what he called a once-in-a-generation opportunity. He acknowledged that people could risk death if they rise up, but said “freedom has a price. People pay. Sometimes with their life.” When asked in the interview if there’s a plan B if that doesn’t transpire, Eisenberg said: “Plan B is not on the table right now.”Thailand says 3 crew missing after ship hit by projectiles in Strait of HormuzMarch 11, 2026 6:07 pmTwenty crew have been rescued from a Thai ship hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz but three crew remain missing, Thailand’s Transport Ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry said the crew had abandoned the vessel in a lifeboat and were rescued by the Omani navy. It said an explosion occurred in the stern of the ship and caused a fire in the engine compartment, where the remaining three crew members had been working.Iran launches multiple salvos at Israel and Gulf Arab nationsMarch 11, 2026 5:34 pmIsrael warned of three Iranian attacks early Wednesday, with sirens heard in Tel Aviv and elsewhere, but no immediate reports of casualties. Saudi Arabia said it had destroyed six ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, a major US- and Saudi-operated facility, and intercepted two drones over the eastern city of Hafar al-Batin. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, run by the British military, reported an attack on a container ship off the United Arab Emirates, saying the “extent of the damage is currently unknown but under investigation by the crew.” Another ship was hit by a projectile in the Persian Gulf, it said. The crew was reported safe.Italy’s Meloni says US-Israeli attacks on Iran violate international lawMarch 11, 2026 3:43 pmRome: Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, said the US-Israeli attacks violate international law. Meloni, in an address to the Italian Senate on Wednesday, described a broader international crisis “in which threats are becoming increasingly terrifying and unilateral interventions outside the confines of international law are multiplying”. She said the “the American and Israeli intervention against the Iranian regime” should be understood as part of that broader crisis. APKremlin says it is in constant touch with Iranian leadersMarch 11, 2026 3:41 pmMoscow: Russia is constantly in touch with the Iranian leadership and willing to contribute to efforts to stabilise the region, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. “Here I can only say that we are in constant contact with the Iranian side and with the Iranian leadership,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “As President (Vladimir) Putin has said, Russia is always ready to do what it can to restore peace and stability in the region.” Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have spoken with their Iranian counterparts in recent days, while Putin also held a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Monday. ReutersForeign nationals flee Persian Gulf region as death tolls riseMarch 11, 2026 3:30 pmDubai: In addition to the more than 500 killed in Lebanon, Iran has said that more than 1,300 people have been killed there, and Israel has reported 12 people dead. The US has lost seven soldiers, while another eight have suffered severe injuries. Many foreign nationals have been getting out of the Persian Gulf region since the war began, including over 45,000 UK citizens, the British Foreign Office said. Some 40,000 people returned to the United States, according to the State Department. APOil prices stay high on fears of prolonged shipping disruptionMarch 11, 2026 3:28 pmDubai: Oil prices remained well below Monday’s peaks, but the price of Brent crude, the international standard, was still up some 20 per cent Wednesday from when the war began, and consumers around the world are already feeling the pain at the pump. The spike in oil prices has been rocking financial markets worldwide because of worries that the war could block the global flow of oil and natural gas for a long time. APSri Lanka court orders handover of 84 Iranian sailors’ bodies to embassyMarch 11, 2026 3:06 pmColombo: A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday ordered that the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a US attack on an Iranian vessel off the island nation’s coast be handed over to Iran’s embassy. Currently, the bodies are stored in two freezer containers in Galle National Hospital. Galle Chief Magistrate Sameera Dodangoda ordered the director of the hospital to hand over the bodies to the Iranian embassy. PTIIranian drones hit near Dubai International Airport, wounding 4 people; flights continueMarch 11, 2026 1:37 pmTwo Iranian drones hit near Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, wounding four people, though flights continue, authorities said. The Dubai Media Office, which issues statements on behalf of the city-state’s government, said the attack caused “minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national.” It said flights continued. Dubai International Airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, is the world’s busiest for international travel. Authorities have been trying to build up their flight schedule, though the airport has been targeted in the war. APIran: Speculation rises over Mojtaba Khamenei’s healthMarch 11, 2026 1:10 pmDubai: Speculation over the health of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei grew on Wednesday after the son of Iran’s president mentioned hearing news about him “being injured”. Mojtaba, 56, is the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He long has been a secretive figure within Iran. His father and wife both were killed in an Israeli airstrike on February 28 that started the war. Mojtaba has not been seen since, nor has he given any statement since becoming supreme leader on Monday. In an overnight post on the app Telegram, Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote: “I heard news about Mr Mojtaba being injured. I asked friends who were in contact. They said, thank God, he is healthy and there is no problem.” He did not elaborate. APBritish military says cargo ship ablaze in Strait of Hormuz after being hit by projectileMarch 11, 2026 11:54 amDubai: A projectile hit a cargo ship on Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, setting the vessel ablaze after the United States targeted Iranian minelaying vessels that could target the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, run by the British military, said the vessel had been hit just north of Oman in the strait. It said the crew was evacuating the ship. Iran did not immediately claim the attack though it has been targeting ships in and around the strait, disrupting a waterway that sees a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded pass through it. The UKMTO earlier reported on another attack targeting a vessel off Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. APShip attacked off the UAEMarch 11, 2026 11:32 amDubai: A projectile hit a container ship early on Wednesday morning off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Strait of Hormuz, the British military said. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre issued the warning, saying the attack happened off Ras al-Khaimah, the UAE’s northernmost emirate on the strait. The centre said the “extent of the damage is currently unknown but under investigation by the crew”. APAustralia grants asylum to 6 members of the Iranian women’s soccer teamMarch 11, 2026 11:31 amDubai: Two more members of the Iranian women’s soccer team were granted asylum in Australia before their teammates departed the country, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Wednesday, but one of the women changed her mind and plans to return to Iran. Six women from the Iranian squad will remain in Australia on humanitarian visas after accepting offers of asylum shortly before their scheduled return home, Burke said. The names and photographs of the team members initially granted asylum have been widely published, including by Burke, and it was not immediately clear which of the women reversed her decision. APSaudi Arabia and Kuwait shoot down dronesMarch 11, 2026 11:31 amDubai: Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said early on Wednesday it destroyed five drones heading towards the kingdom’s vast Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter desert. It added that it intercepted and destroyed two drones in the Eastern Province. Kuwait said it downed eight drones over the tiny, oil-rich nation. APIsraeli strike hits building in central BeirutMarch 11, 2026 11:29 amDubai: Videos circulating online and broadcast by local news channels from an apparent strike site in the densely populated Aicha Bakkar area of central Beirut show two floors of a multistory building engulfed in flames. The strike came without warning. There were no immediate reports concerning who was targeted or the number and extent of casualties. The structure that was hit is several buildings away from Dar al-Fatwa, the country’s highest Sunni Muslim religious authority. APRussia says consulate in Isfahan damagedMarch 11, 2026 11:29 amDubai: Russia said its consulate in the Iranian city of Isfahan was damaged in airstrikes targeting the central Iranian city. The state-run Tass news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying there were “no casualties or serious injuries” in the strike on Sunday, which targeted the nearby governor’s office in the city. APQatar says it can’t mediate while under attackMarch 11, 2026 11:28 amDubai: Qatar says it won’t serve as a mediator for Iran as it remains under attack from Tehran. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s minister of state for foreign affairs, made the statement to the Qatari-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired on Wednesday. He noted both Qatar and Oman had been attacked even though they worked to “build bridges between Iran and the West”. APIran fires at Gulf states as Australia grants asylum to women on Iranian soccer teamMarch 11, 2026 11:24 amDubai: Iran fired missiles and drones at targets across the Gulf, including oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and a ship off the coast of the Emirates, while Israel and the United States struck targets across the Islamic Republic. Saudi Arabia and other states said they intercepted multiple drone attacks. Six members of the Iranian women’s soccer team will remain in Australia, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Wednesday, while one of the squad members who was previously granted asylum changed her mind and planned to return to Iran. APUN warns of higher food prices, cost-of-living if Strait of Hormuz shutsMarch 11, 2026 8:55 amUnited Nations: The United Nations has warned of significant risks to global trade and development, including higher food prices and cost-of-living, if the Strait of Hormuz is closed amid the West Asia conflict. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report on Tuesday that the ongoing military escalation in the region due to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliation by Tehran has disrupted shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. The narrow passage carries around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilisers. “The resulting ripple effects go far beyond the region, affecting energy markets, maritime transport and global supply chains,” the report said. PTILebanon reports more deathsMarch 11, 2026 8:16 amDubai: Multiple Israeli strikes killed seven people across southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said early on Wednesday. Also killed was a Red Cross member who died early on Wednesday after an Israeli strike targeted his team on Monday while they were rescuing people following an earlier attack, the health ministry said. On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes killed four people, including a paramedic who worked for the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority who was treating the wounded. AP