Al Jazeera News Updates Iran attacks Gulf neighbours, Asia financial markets plummet
Mar 23, 2026
Tensions escalate as Tehran warns of strikes on Gulf energy facilities and new attacks cause civilian casualties and blackouts. Missile barrages and air raid sirens spread across Israel and Gulf states. Regional airstrikes hit Iranian-aligned groups in Iraq. Asian financial markets and oil prices tumble amid fears over energy supply.
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Energy Facility Threats Spark Market Panic
- Iran threatens to strike regional energy facilities if Donald Trump attacks Iranian power plants.
- These threats, plus fresh missile and drone strikes across Gulf states and Israel, spooked Asian markets and pushed equities sharply lower.
Civilian Toll and Infrastructure Damage In Iran
- Iranian strikes have hit civilian areas, causing casualties and infrastructure damage including a child killed in Quramabad.
- Iran's Red Crescent reports over 81,000 civilian buildings hit and more than 1,400 killed since the war began.
Iran Targets Israeli Military and Hits Civilians
- Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it's targeting Israeli military outposts while shrapnel and projectiles have struck civilian areas in Israel and the West Bank.
- Missile barrages set off sirens in Haifa and debris fell in Safad, showing escalation across northern Israel.