The global energy security crisis deepened sharply on Saturday as Iran struck the UAE’s Fujairah oil port with ballistic missiles and maintained its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off two of the most important nodes in the global energy supply chain simultaneously. Oil prices were approaching $120 per barrel, and analysts warned of a surge to $150 if damage to Gulf energy infrastructure continued. The war, now in its third week, was threatening to produce the worst energy supply shock since the 1970s oil crisis.
Iran launched the missiles at Fujairah as part of its broadening campaign to raise costs for US allies and the global economy, aiming to pressure Washington into halting its military offensive. Iranian military commanders threatened to strike any Gulf energy facility with American ties, while the foreign minister called on Arab states to expel US forces. The UAE condemned the attack as terrorism while seeking restraint. Some oil-loading operations were suspended, adding to the disruption caused by the Hormuz closure which had already been affecting global energy flows since February 28.
US warplanes continued striking Kharg Island, Iran’s primary crude oil export hub, on Saturday. President Trump said in public remarks the island had been effectively demolished. He called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, acknowledging for the first time publicly that the US might need multilateral support. Trump simultaneously warned that Iran’s remaining oil infrastructure could be destroyed if Tehran did not allow free maritime passage through the strait.
Israel conducted dozens of airstrikes inside Iran, killing at least 15 people in Isfahan. Iran fired rockets at Israel in return. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described Iranian leaders as “desperate and hiding” and claimed the new supreme leader had been wounded. Iranian officials confirmed the injury but dismissed its severity. The USS Tripoli and 2,500 additional marines were heading to the region, reinforcing America’s military posture. The International Crisis Group assessed Iran’s regime as intact and pursuing a deliberate strategy of prolonged conflict.
The human and economic toll was staggering. More than 1,400 Iranians had been killed in sustained bombing. Thirteen Israelis and roughly 20 Gulf residents had died. Lebanon’s crisis continued, with 800 killed and 850,000 displaced from Israeli strikes on Hezbollah. Six US troops died in an aircraft crash in western Iraq. The US embassy in Baghdad was struck, and Americans in Iraq were ordered to leave immediately. The convergence of energy disruption, military escalation, and humanitarian catastrophe was pushing the region toward a crisis with global consequences.