Oil prices hit four year high: Latest news on the Middle East conflict on 9 March
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $...
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he ordered military airstrikes targeting a senior Islamic State attack planner and other operatives in Somalia. The strikes, he said, aimed to eliminate militants who posed a direct threat to the United States and its allies.
"These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians."
According to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the airstrikes were carried out in the Golis Mountains, a known stronghold for extremist groups. He confirmed that an initial assessment indicated multiple ISIS operatives were killed, while no civilians were harmed.
The strikes come amid heightened concerns over the Islamic State’s growing presence in East Africa. Earlier this week, Interpol announced the arrest of several suspected ISIS members in the region, raising fears of a potential resurgence of the group.
Military analysts say the U.S. has been monitoring Islamic State networks in Somalia for years, as the group has expanded its influence beyond its traditional bases in the Middle East. U.S. forces have previously carried out targeted strikes in Somalia, focusing on both ISIS and Al-Shabaab militants operating in the region.
The Pentagon has not disclosed further details about the identity of the senior militant targeted in the airstrikes or whether additional operations are planned in response to ongoing threats.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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