Saudi, UAE leaders warn Iran attacks risk wider regional escalation

French President Emmanuel Macron said he called on Iran to immediately end what he described as “unacceptable” attacks across the region and pressed for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to be restored.

In a post on X, Macron said he warned that unchecked escalation risked plunging the region into chaos with long-term consequences and said civilians across the Middle East—including in Iran—were paying the price.

He said he urged Tehran to stop attacks carried out directly or through allied groups in countries including Lebanon and Iraq, while stressing that France was operating in a “strictly defensive framework” aimed at protecting its interests, regional partners and maritime security.

Since the start of joint US–Israeli strikes on February 28, Iran has targeted at least 16 vessels and tankers, sharply curbing flows through one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.

Data from the commodity intelligence firm Kpler, seen by Iran International, shows Iranian crude exports averaging more than 1.5 million barrels a day (bpd) so far this month through the strait.

Discharges at Chinese ports have also risen, increasing from about 1.17 million bpd in February to more than 1.25 million so far in March. Figures from the International Energy Agency and maritime intelligence provider Lloyd’s List similarly point to a surge in Iran’s shipments.

Last week, Iran also loaded a two-million-barrel cargo from Jask — its only export terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz — marking the first such shipment since October 2024.

Before the escalation, roughly 14.7 million barrels of crude and 4.8 million barrels of refined products moved daily through the strait — about one-fifth of global oil consumption.

Among Persian Gulf producers, only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pipeline routes bypassing Hormuz. Even those alternatives were already partly utilized.

According to Lloyd’s List, combined exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman via non-Persian Gulf ports averaged about 3.5 million barrels a day in recent months but have climbed to roughly 6 million — still far short of offsetting lost flows.

President Donald Trump said Friday the US Navy would “soon” begin escorting oil tankers through the waterway, though officials have not outlined a timeline or operational details.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, pushed back Sunday on suggestions Tehran was seeking talks, telling CBS’s Face the Nation: “We have never asked for a ceasefire … we are ready to defend ourselves for as long as it takes.”

Lloyd’s List estimates that even with naval escorts, no more than about 10 percent of lost volumes could realistically be restored — echoing the limited recovery seen after Houthi attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb.

The IEA said Thursday that disruptions have cut global supply by about 8 million barrels a day of crude and another 2 million barrels of condensates and natural gas liquids.

In response, its 32 member countries plan to release roughly 400 million barrels from strategic reserves over 120 days beginning next week, including about 172 million barrels from the United States and 80 million from Japan.

Even so, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday there were “no guarantees” oil prices would fall in the coming weeks.

The chief executives of ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips warned Trump administration officials that disruption to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz is likely to worsen the global energy crisis, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to the report, the executives delivered the message in recent White House meetings and conversations with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, cautioning that continued instability around the strategic waterway would sustain market volatility and could trigger shortages of refined products.

They also warned that reopening the strait would be critical to avoiding broader economic fallout as the conflict continues.

Israel’s EL AL Airlines said Sunday it will begin operating special nonstop flights from Tel Aviv to New York starting Monday for US citizens seeking to leave the country after war-related cancellations.

In a statement, the carrier said it will run six dedicated flights for US passport holders whose original bookings were disrupted following the outbreak of the conflict.

EL AL said the flights are being coordinated with the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, the US State Department and Israel’s Ministry of Transportation.

The Australian federal government has confirmed that a fifth member of Iran’s women’s football team withdrew her asylum claim and left the country overnight, ABC News Australia reported.

Seven members of the team, including a player handler, were granted humanitarian visas by the Australian government last week while they were in the country for the Asian Cup tournament.

Earlier Iran International reported that a member of the women’s national football team staff who sought asylum in Australia along with several of her players is trying to persuade the others not to follow suit but instead return to Iran.