President Donald Trump has referred to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as “a paper tiger” and “cowards” on Friday, over Europe’s collective stance not to support securing the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. and Israel continue striking Iran. “Without the U.S.A., NATO is a paper tiger!” Trump wrote in a TruthSocial post. “They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a nuclear-powered Iran.
Now that the fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them,” Trump added. Despite Trump’s insisting the war was won and Iran’s military decisively hobbled, he has stopped writing of outright declaring victory.
“[T]hey complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. “So easy for them to do, with so little risk; COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” Trump wrote Meanwhile, Iranian drones yesterday hit Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery leading to a fire in several units at the facility, according to Oilprice.com.
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), which said in a statement, also confirmed that the refinery, which is located 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Kuwait City and has the capacity to process 346,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, came under drone attacks in the early hours of yesterday.
“The attacks resulted in a fire in several units within the refinery but caused no injuries, according to preliminary assessments,” KPC said. Kuwait’s General Fire Force said its teams dealt with the fire that broke out in one of the units at Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery following drone attacks. Also, the Kuwaiti Armed Forces confirmed the attack.
It said: “It is currently responding to hostile missiles & drone threats, urging the public to adhere to safety & security instructions issued by the relevant authorities.” Meanwhile, spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ali Mohammad Naini, was killed in the U.S.- Israeli air strikes at dawn yesterday, according to state media reports.
Following Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu suggestion that the Iran war could end sooner than expected, early yesterday in Asian trade, oil prices fell by more than 3% but rebound by mid morning in Europe, as Brent Crude, the international benchmark gaining 1% to trade at $110 per barrel, while the US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate contracts reportedly traded at $97 a barrel.
Recall that oil prices had risen sharply on Thursday following fresh strikes on energy infrastructure in the Middle East, including Qatar’s main gas facility. Brent crude, international benchmark skyrocketed by 10% to $119 a barrel on Thursday morning before dropping to $112 shortly after midday, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
The United States benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil price, traded near $97 to $98 per barrel, fueled by supply risks and market disruptions. The spike in oil prices on Thursday was a fallout of the attack on South Pars gas facility one of the world’s largest natural gas fields, with both Qatar and Iran operating facilities in the area.
Iran retaliated by targeting a major liquefied natural gas export facility in Qatar, and causing “extensive damage”, raising concerns over the global energy supply. The strikes on Ras Laffan followed reports that Israel hit Iran’s petrochemical complex on the South Pars gas field. Netanyahu had late Thursday said that, at the request of United States President Donald Trump, Israel will hold off on any further attacks on the Iranian gas field.
