By Reuters
Updated At : 02:44 PM Apr 01, 2026 IST
Dubai: Iran struck a tanker off the coast of Qatar and fuel storage at Kuwait International Airport early on Wednesday as it continued attacks on Gulf Arab neighbours, while acknowledging for the first time direct US contact about a possible ceasefire.
Israel warned of incoming fire from both Yemen and Iran and launched strikes in Lebanon that killed at least five people. An airstrike on Tehran appeared to have hit the former US Embassy compound, controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since 1979; witnesses said windows of buildings outside the walled facility were blown out and the strike seemed to occur inside the compound.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said a tanker off Qatar was hit by a projectile; the crew was reportedly unharmed. A fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker was attacked off Dubai the previous day, one of more than 20 ships hit by Iran during the conflict.
Bahrain issued two alerts for incoming missiles and reported an Iranian attack caused a fire at a business facility. Kuwait’s state-run KUNA reported a drone struck a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a “large fire” that firefighters were working to control. Two drones were intercepted over Saudi Arabia, and air raid sirens sounded in Israel with no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Israel said it struck a plant in Iran producing fentanyl, which Israeli officials claimed was linked to a chemical weapons programme; Iran acknowledged the hit on the Tofigh Daru factory but said it supplied only hospital drugs for medical use.
The war has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran throttled traffic following US and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, contributing to a spike in gas prices and market turbulence. President Donald Trump said the US could end military attacks on Iran within two to three weeks and suggested Tehran did not need to make a deal for the conflict to wind down.
In southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces said a surface-to-air missile downed an Israeli military drone. Lebanese health authorities reported strikes in the Beirut area that caused multiple casualties. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to target 18 major US-linked companies in the region from Wednesday, listing firms including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla and Boeing; President Trump said he was not concerned about the threats.
The White House announced Trump would give a national address on Iran at 9 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (0100 GMT Thursday) as the regional conflict continued to escalate.
