Der Krieg geht unvermindert weiter, wobei Israel nicht nur den Iran angreift, sondern auch den Libanon und weiter in Gaza Völkermord begeht sowie in der Westbank gegen dort seit Jahrhunderten ansässige Palästinenser vorgeht. Die Straße von Hormus ist weiter geschlossen, Energiepreise steigen und es drohen steigende Lebenmittelpreise sowie in manchen Teilen der Welt auch Hungersnöte, da auch die Ausfuhr von Düngemitteln gestoppt ist, die 35% des Welthandels ausmachen.
Daily Archives: 18. März 2026
The Other Global Crisis Stemming From the Strait of Hormuz’s Blockage
(March 12, 2026)
Deprived of their natural gas supplies from Qatar, fertilizer firms in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan have had to shut down production. Egypt, another important producer, has lost its gas imports from Israel and must turn to the ever-pricier LNG market. The benchmark price of urea, the most widely traded fertilizer, is up about 30 percent in the last month.
The damage extends beyond nitrogen to another key crop nutrient, phosphorus. Gulf countries produce around 20 percent of phosphate fertilizers, and as well as a quarter of global sulfur, which is largely an oil and gas byproduct. Fertilizer producers need sulfur (sulfuric acid, to be precise) to turn phosphate rock into a liquid that plants can absorb.
Korea, Taiwan chip sectors most exposed to helium shortage amid Middle East war: Fitch
Helium, a by-product of natural gas extraction used in semiconductor manufacturing for ultra-clean cooling, leak detection and inert shielding, faces a global squeeze, with Qatar among the world’s most important suppliers.
This comes as the US-Israeli attacks on Iran have already disrupted liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Qatar, a leading LNG supplier, and constrained shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy chokepoint that is now paralysed.
Energie-Lockdowns breiten sich aus
Besonders Asien ist durch die Energiekrise, die der US-israelische Angriff auf den Iran ausgelöst hat, hart getroffen. Am ganzen Kontinent werden Spar- und Rationierungsmaßnahmen von Regierungen verordnet.
Enten: Key allies ‘absolutely despise’ US action in Iran
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten breaks down international support for US military action in Iran as President Donald Trump is asking for other countries to help secure shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraq’s capital Baghdad rocked by powerful blasts near US embassy
Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, has been rocked by a series of explosions close to the United States embassy in the city’s heavily fortified Green Zone as the rapidly escalating US-Israeli war on Iran continued to spill over the border.
Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig has the latest from the Iraqi capital.
Beirut building collapses after an Israeli airstrike
Eyewitness video captured the moment an Israeli airstrike hit a building in central Beirut, causing it to collapse. Rescue efforts were underway after the strike.
Funeral procession for Iranian security chief Ali Larijani
(video)
Iranians bid farewell to Dena sailors, martyrs Larijani and Soleimani
Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran to participate in the funeral procession honoring the martyrdom of Iranian sailors and top officials, Ali Larijani and General Gholamreza Soleimani, assassinated during unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic.
King of Illinois: Pritzker swings Senate race as he targets Trump
CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker emerged as the kingmaker in deep-blue Illinois after pouring millions of dollars and staking his political reputation to deliver his hand-picked Senate candidate a primary victory on Tuesday.
The result strengthens Pritzker’s standing within his party at a critical moment, as he prepares for a November gubernatorial campaign for his third term and looks ahead to a potential presidential run in 2028.
Takeaways from the Illinois primary elections
The primary’s biggest winner might be Stratton’s top booster: Gov. JB Pritzker.
The Democratic governor, who is widely seen as a 2028 presidential contender, was unopposed in his own primary as he seeks a third term. But he pumped millions of dollars into lifting Stratton over two members of Congress in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin.
Stratton Wins and AIPAC’s Power Is Tested: 4 Illinois Takeaways
More than $32 million in outside spending poured into four Chicago-area House contests, a tidal wave of cash led by groups tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the crypto sector and the artificial intelligence industry.
AIPAC and the A.I. industry wound up with split decisions. The crypto sector lost the two races where it spent roughly 90 percent of its money. And progressives failed to build momentum early in midterm primary season.
Here are four takeaways from primary night in Illinois:
The U.S. is the world‘s leading oil producer. So why are gas prices soaring?
On Wednesday, the average national gas price in the U.S. rose to $3.84 a gallon, up from $2.92 a month ago, according to AAA. A gallon of diesel has shot up to more than $5, the highest level since late 2022.
And here‘s the thing: The U.S. exports much of the oil it produces, selling it to foreign purchasers. We also remain a major importer, with the U.S also the world‘s biggest user of oil, data shows.
Traffic is trickling through Strait of Hormuz: Who’s moving and who’s stranded
While Iran has kept a tight grip on the strait, a small number of other ships have made the crossing under varying circumstances, signaling that Tehran is selectively letting through some non-Iranian oil cargo in negotiated safe voyages, according to maritime analysts.
Here’s a look at some of the countries that have had their vessels go through the critical energy route since the war began.
Israel says it killed Iranian intelligence minister in latest assassination of regime leadership
Katz also said that he and Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu had streamlined the process for targeting other members of Iran’s leadership.
I have authorized the (Israel Defense Forces) to neutralize any senior Iranian official once an operational and intelligence opportunity arises – without the need for additional approval”
Iran has yet to confirm his alleged killing.
Israel bombs central Beirut, strafes south, east Lebanon, killing over 20
Israel has attacked a building in Bashoura, a neighbourhood in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported, with a blast and smoke rising over the area shortly after Israel issued an evacuation threat for the site.
The attack was part of a deadly wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon that killed more than 20 people and wounded dozens on Wednesday, according to the country’s Ministry of Public Health, with raids stretching from the capital through southern and eastern parts of the country, a devastating front in the wider United States-Israeli war against Iran embroiling the region.
Larijani‘s Visit To Daughter‘s House Sealed His Fate. How He Was Located
The security chief kept changing his location, constantly moving to new secret hideouts over the last two weeks, the report suggests. That would mean, by the time Israeli intelligence located Larijani‘s hideout, he would have already moved to another.
Larijani was ultimately located when he was visiting his daughter on Tuesday. He was eliminated in a strike on his daughter‘s house in Pardis in Tehran‘s suburbs, reported the Iranian semi-official Fars news agency. His son, a deputy, and several bodyguards were also killed in the attack.
Iran‘s top security official, Dr. Ali Larijani, martyred in American-Israeli aggression
In a statement issued late Tuesday, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretariat announced the martyrdom of Dr. Ali Larijani alongside his son, Mortaza Larijani; the SNSC deputy for security, Alireza Bayat; and a number of their bodyguards.