Iran hits Gulf neighbors and keeps stranglehold on oil shipping as concerns rise of energy crisis

People walk past tents sheltering people displaced by Israeli airstrikes at a public space along the Beirut waterfront at sunset in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) 2026-03-16T05:32:06Z BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Explosions echoed across Beirut early Monday as Israel struck the Lebanese capital. It also launched a new wave of attacks on Tehran , while Dubai was forced to temporarily close its airport after an Iranian drone hit a fuel tank. Since being attacked by the United States and Israel more than two weeks ago, Iran has been regularly hitting Israel, American bases and its Gulf Arab neighbors’ energy infrastructure with drones and missiles. It has also effectively stopped shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz , through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, giving rise to growing fears of a global energy crisis and putting pressure on Washington as consumers are already feeling the pain at the pump. Brent crude, the international standard, remained stubbornly over $100 a barrel on Monday. It was at $104 in early trading , up nearly 45% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. It has spiked as high as about $120 during the conflict. President Donald Trump said he has made demands to about seven countries to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but his appeals have brought no commitments. His party is increasingly concerned that rising prices for American consumers will hurt the Republicans in elections this fall. “I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their own territory,” Trump told reporters as he flew back to Washington from Florida aboard Air Force One. He did not identify the countries, but has previously appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called claims that his country may be seeking a negotiated end to the war “delusional,” saying in a social media post early Monday that his coun

原文链接: AP News