US–Iran War Day 35 Updates: Kuwait refinery hit, energy infrastructure under threat; Houthis claim strike on Israel’s Jaffa

As the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran enters its 35th day, there are few signs of de-escalation in the Middle East. Friday dawned with continued attacks across the region, highlighting Tehran’s sustained capability to strike its neighbours and disrupt global energy supplies. Tehran and its allies have targeted Washington-linked assets alongside civilian infrastructure, while strikes increasingly hit economic and industrial sites.

Iran fires missiles at Israel and Gulf nations

• Iran launched missiles toward Israel, Bahrain and Kuwait as the conflict entered its sixth week
• Air raid warnings were issued, though it remains unclear what was struck
• Explosions were reported in Tehran and Isfahan amid ongoing strikes

Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi refinery hit by drones

• Iranian drones struck the Mina al-Ahmadi refinery, sparking fires
• Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said firefighters were responding
• No injuries reported; this is the third attack on the facility during the war
• The refinery is key to Kuwait’s oil processing and export chain

Energy infrastructure under threat across region

• Attacks highlight growing risks to Gulf oil infrastructure
• Iran’s position along the Strait of Hormuz adds to global supply concerns
• Nearly a fifth of global oil and gas passes through the strait

Houthis claim joint missile strike on Israel’s Jaffa, signal widening regional conflict

• Houthi movement says it launched a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting Israel’s Jaffa area
• Attack claimed to be coordinated with Iran-linked forces and Hezbollah
• Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said “vital Israeli targets” were hit
• Group claims the operation “successfully achieved its objectives”
• The strike, if confirmed, points to expanding multi-front coordination in the regional conflict

U.S. steps up military pressure on Iran

• Donald Trump said the U.S. would keep hitting Iran “very hard”
• Additional U.S. forces and aircraft carriers being positioned in the region
• Naval deployments signal preparedness for further escalation

Calls to secure Strait of Hormuz

• Emmanuel Macron and Lee Jae Myung agreed to cooperate
• Focus on reopening and securing key global shipping routes
• No specifics yet on how the effort will be carried out

Former CIA chief questions war strategy

• Bill Burns described the conflict as a “war of choice”
• Warned it may strengthen hardliners within Iran
• Said the regime prioritises survival and may become more repressive
• Suggested the war could delay, not accelerate, regime collapse

Strain visible beyond conflict zone

• Bangladesh cutting fuel spending and seeking external funding
• Australia facing diesel shortages in several regions
• Governments responding to supply disruptions and energy stress

Iran vows 'crushing' attacks

Iran reported its latest attacks targeted locations in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Israel in retaliation for earlier US-Israeli strikes on its industrial facilities.

According to Tehran, the strikes included:

• American steel industries in Abu Dhabi
• American aluminium industries in Bahrain
• Rafael arms factories in Israel

Israel’s military confirmed that its air defences were intercepting missiles fired from Iran, though no immediate casualties or damage were reported. Fresh explosions were earlier reported near Karaj, with Iranian state media citing US-Israeli strikes hitting a bridge twice, the first strike causing civilian casualties and the second striking emergency responders.

Read more: 8 killed, 95 injured as US-Israeli strikes hit Iran’s B1 Bridge; Trump warns Tehran to 'make a deal before it’s too late'



Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a fourth missile attack on Israel, targeting the Tel Aviv area.

Iran continues strikes despite US claims

• Iran reported that eight people were killed while celebrating the close of the Persian New Year near a major bridge targeted by a US strike.
• President Trump, speaking earlier this week, claimed that Iran’s threat had been “nearly eliminated” and shared footage of the bridge’s collapse.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack, which injured 95 people during Nature Day celebrations marking the end of Nowruz. “Striking civilian infrastructure only conveys the defeat and moral collapse of an enemy in disarray,” he wrote on X.

Read more: US Army chief of staff Randy George fired by Hegseth

Attacks extend across Gulf states and Israel

Kuwait and Bahrain reported missile attacks, while Israel faced incoming fire from Iran. Lebanon continues to suffer as Israeli strikes target Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, leaving 27 dead in the past 24 hours.

Casualty figures now include:

• Over 1,900 deaths in Iran
• 19 deaths in Israel
• More than 1,300 deaths and over 1 million displaced in Lebanon
• 13 US service members killed
• Casualties in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank

Strait of Hormuz: Global energy under threat

• Iranian attacks on commercial shipping and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe disruption to global oil markets.
• Lloyds List Intelligence reports a 94% drop in traffic through the strait since March 1 compared with last year.
• Saudi Arabia rerouted about 1 billion barrels of oil in March, while Iraq began transporting oil via Syria to bypass the strait.
• Thirty-five countries, including most G7 nations, the UAE, and Bahrain, discussed political and diplomatic solutions for reopening the waterway.
• Military intervention remains off the table, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling a military operation “unrealistic.”

Rising oil prices and global economic impact

• Oil prices remain elevated, with US crude at $111.54 per barrel, a 50% rise since the start of the conflict on 28 February.
• The disruption has affected jet fuel supplies, increased gasoline prices, and threatens to push up costs for food and other goods worldwide.

Trump’s statement on the conflict

• President Trump stated that US strategic objectives are “nearing completion” and encouraged nations dependent on Hormuz oil to take action themselves if needed.
• Iran responded defiantly, with military officials asserting that US-targeted facilities are “insignificant” and that Tehran maintains hidden stockpiles of arms and munitions.

Trump says US could reopen Hormuz Strait

• Trump said the U.S. could reopen the Strait of Hormuz “with a little more time,” amid mounting pressure to resolve the Iran conflict.
• In a Truth Social post, he claimed the U.S. could “open the strait, take the oil, and make a fortune.”
• The war, now in its fifth week, has disrupted the region and rattled global financial markets.
• Iran has effectively shut the key oil route in response to U.S.-Israeli strikes, sending energy prices higher.

US fighter jet downed over Iran; one crew member rescued

• A U.S. fighter jet was shot down over Iran, prompting a search and rescue operation, a U.S. official told Reuters.
• Israeli media, cited by Reuters, reported that one crew member has been rescued.
• The incident is the first of its kind since the U.S. launched its war with Iran on February 28.
• Iranian officials urged civilians to report survivors, with a provincial governor offering commendation for capturing or killing crew members.