Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on March 20, 2026, that U.S.-Israeli strikes had killed their spokesman, Ali Mohammad Naini, describing the attack as a “criminal cowardly terrorist act” by the “American-Zionist side.” The Guards’ statement, posted on their Sepah News website, marked the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict. Meanwhile, drone attacks targeted Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery, with Gulf state authorities citing retaliatory measures against Iran. Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran on the same day, coinciding with Iranians celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The attacks, described by the Israeli military as targeting “infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime,” came amid a war that has destabilized the global economy and drawn Arab neighbors into the conflict. Earlier, an Iranian missile strike on Haifa’s oil refineries caused temporary power disruptions but no significant damage, according to Israel’s Energy Ministry. The war’s economic fallout was evident in energy markets. Dutch wholesale gas prices fluctuated on March 20, with the TTF hub trading around 61.88 euros per megawatt-hour, after surging to a 2023 high the previous day. QatarEnergy reported that missile strikes on its Ras Laffan LNG facilities had damaged 17% of its export capacity, potentially delaying the North Field LNG expansion. Analysts warned that the attacks could prolong energy shortages and reshape global pricing for years. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, condemned U.S. use of British bases, calling it “participation in aggression” against Iran. The call with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper remained unconfirmed in timing.#qatarenergy #iran_revolutionary_guards #israeli_military #ali_mohammad_naini #kwait_mina_al_ahmadi
