A person holds a petrol pump to fill up the car with gazole at an Eni petrol station near Monza, northern Italy on March 11, 2026. (Photo by Stefano Rellandini / AFP)
Doha, Qatar: Oil soared above $100 and stocks sank Thursday as Iran's fresh attempts to hit supplies in the Middle East and threats to bring down the global economy overshadowed a record release of strategic crude by the International Energy Agency, reported AFP.
It stated that the IEA said Wednesday that its members had agreed to unlock 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves -- their largest release ever.
As Iran steps up attempts to disrupt supplies across the region, two tankers in Iraqi waters were reported struck Thursday. Baghdad had already said it was cutting output because of the crisis, with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia following suit.
Also Thursday, Bahrain reported Iran had carried out an attack on fuel tanks in the country, while Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted drones headed to Shaybah oil field and drones struck fuel tanks at Oman's Salalah port, where operations were subsequently suspended.
And the UK maritime agency said in an alert Thursday that a container ship near the United Arab Emirates was hit by an "unknown projectile".
Stay tuned for more updates
-----------------------------------------------------
12:10pm Doha Time
Indian crew member killed on oil tanker attacked near Basra
Doha, Qatar: One Indian crew member on a US-owned crude oil tanker was killed when it was attacked yesterday, March 11, 2026.
The Indian Embassy in Baghdad said this in a social media post adding that the tanker Safesea Vishnu was sailing under the Marshall Islands flag when it was attacked near Basra, Iraq.
It further said that the remaining 15 Indian crew have since been evacuated to a safe place.
The Embassy of India Baghdad said that it is in regular contact with Iraqi authorities, rescued Indian sailors and was offering all possible assistance.
11:46am Doha Time
‘Minor drone incident’ in Dubai
Authorities in Dubai are “responding to a minor drone incident in the Al Bada’a area”, its media office said on X, adding that “no injuries have been reported”.
Al Jazeera said this comes after there were reports of loud explosions in the city that has frequently been targeted by drones since the start of the regional tension.
11:41am Doha Time
Kuwait airport hit by drones
Kuwait International Airport was hit by several drones, the country’s national news agency is reporting, citing civil aviation authorities.
The report added that the attack resulted in “material damage only”, Al Jazeera said
11:10am Doha Time
‘Govt and people of Sweden stand firmly behind Qatar, other Gulf states’
Sweden has reaffirmed its strong support for and solidarity with Qatar amid the evolving geopolitical situation in the region, with senior Swedish leaders holding high-level discussions with their Qatari counterparts, and the Swedish Embassy in Doha working around the clock to assist its community and travellers.
In an exclusive interview with The Peninsula on Wednesday, Ambassador of Sweden to Qatar H E Gautam Bhattacharyya said the moment underscores the depth of the bilateral partnership. “Moments like these show the strength of true friendship. Sweden deeply values its close relationship with Qatar, and we stand together in support of the stability, safety and well-being of our communities,” he said. Read more
10:59am Doha Time
Explosions heard in downtown Dubai: AFP correspondent
Explosions were heard in downtown Dubai, one very loud, an AFP correspondent reported on Thursday, as Iran continued its campaign against the Gulf in response to US-Israeli attacks.
The correspondent saw small clouds of smoke rise above a residential neighbourhood.
10:30am Doha Time
GCO explains dangers of filming incident sites
Qatar’s Government Communications Office, GCO, has renewed warnings against filming or approaching sites of security incidents, stressing that such actions is a risk to public safety.
GCO said in a post on X that filming videos during incidents can compromise public safety by revealing security details such as military coordinates, the timing of movements and gatherings, as well as roads, entrances and exits. Read more
10:15am Doha Time
Saudi Arabia intercepts drones heading towards Shaybah oilfield
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry says three drones heading towards its Shaybah oil field have been “intercepted and destroyed”.
This is just the latest drone attack targeting Shaybah that Riyadh claims to have foiled today.
The oilfield has the capacity to produce 1 million barrels of crude a day, according to Saudi Aramco.
10:13am Doha Time
Kuwait power lines hit by drone debris after interceptions
Six electricity transmission lines in Kuwait went out of service after debris from intercepted drones fell on the infrastructure, the country’s Electricity Ministry said.
Despite the incident, authorities said the overall supply of electricity and water across the country remains stable, Al Jazeera reports.
10am Doha Time
QSL resumes as title race and top-four battle heat up
The Qatar Stars League (QSL) resumes today with Round 18 matches after a brief suspension caused by regional tensions, as teams return to action for the decisive phase of the season.
The pause resulted in the postponement of two Round 17 fixtures - Qatar SC vs Al Shamal and Al Arabi vs Al Sailiya - which have now been rescheduled for April 7.
Three matches will be played today with simultaneous kick-offs at 9:30pm, with Ramadan timings remaining unchanged. Read more
9:30am Doha Time
IN PHOTOS: Massive blaze at fuel tank in Bahrain after Iranian attack
Sharing photos from fire that broke out in the fuel tanks of one of the facilities in Muharraq Governorate, Bahrain's Ministry of Interior said that the Civil Defence teams are continuing their efforts to control the fire.
The Ministry in another post told the residents in three parts of Muharraq to "remain in their homes, close windows and ventilation openings as precaution against potential effects of smokes from the fire currently being fought."
