Iran war entering ‘decisive phase’, Israel says, as attacks continue

Israel said the war against Iran was entering its “decisive phase” on Saturday, as explosions rocked cities across the Middle East, with strikes on the US embassy in Baghdad and a major Emirati energy facility.

Washington’s embassy in Iraq was hit by a drone, security sources said, the second time it had been targeted since February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran and plunged the Gulf into a conflict that has sent shock waves through the global economy.

Millions have been displaced by waves of drone, missile and aerial bombing, while more than 1,200 people have reportedly been killed in Iran, with little sign of the conflict slowing as it entered its third week.

Oil prices have surged by 40 per cent as Iran chokes off the vital Strait of Hormuz with threats to shipping and strikes on Gulf energy facilities.

Clouds of black smoke rose on Saturday over Fujairah, home to a major Emirati oil storage and export terminal, shortly after Iran’s military warned UAE civilians to avoid port areas.

Fujairah, outside the Strait of Hormuz, is the outlet for about 1 million barrels per day of the United Arab Emirates’ Murban crude oil – a volume equal to about 1 per cent of world demand.