SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
The Qatari Ministry of Interior says civil defence crews have “fully contained all fires in the Ras Laffan industrial area without recording any injuries”.
Cooling and securing operations are continuing at the sites, and security forces were dealing with any “hazardous” substances, the ministry said.
No injuries were recorded, it added.
Earlier, Qatar’s state oil giant QatarEnergy reported “extensive damage” and “sizeable fires” after Iranian missiles hit the Ras Laffan industrial city that processes about one-fifth of global gas supply.
The missiles are believed to be in retaliation to Israel attacking Iran’s major gas field a few hours earlier.
Al Jazeera, AP
Earlier today, US Senate Democrats forced another vote on legislation that would have halted President Donald Trump from continuing the war with Iran without congressional approval.
The vote failed along familiar lines, 53-47. Republicans hold a 53-45 advantage in the Senate, with two independents.
The vote breakdown was unchanged from last week on a similar war powers resolution.
Democrats forced this vote mostly to bring up another debate on the war and force the Senate for a couple of hours officially off the topic of a GOP push to impose strict voter identification requirements.
Democrats are threatening to force more votes on the war unless Republicans agree to hold cabinet-level hearings on the conflict.
AP
A second ship has been hit by an unknown projectile in four hours in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
“UKMTO has received a report of an incident 4NM [four nautical miles] east of Ras Laffan, Qatar. It has been reported to UKMTO that a vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile. All crew are reported safe and well,” its update from 2.45pm reads.
Ras Laffan is an important natural gas supply point which had been repeatedly hit by Iranian airstrikes overnight.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the vessel had been deliberately targeted or potentially struck by falling debris as Qatar fired off missile interceptors at incoming Iranian barrages.
US officials detected unidentified drones above an army base in Washington, DC, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth live, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing three people briefed on the situation.
The officials have not determined where the drones came from, the report said, citing two of the people.
The drones over Fort McNair prompted officials to consider relocating Rubio and Hegseth, the report said.
However, the secretaries have not moved, the report added, citing a senior administration official.
The newspaper said the US military was monitoring potential threats more closely because of the heightened alert level over the US and Israeli war against Iran.
Reuters
Having warned this week Australians can expect higher food prices due to fuel shortages, farmers have welcomed the government’s latest announcement to deal with the situation.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a new fuel taskforce to co-ordinate supply between the states and territories, with former Australian Energy Regulator CEO Anthea Harris as the taskforce’s co-ordinator.
“A national co-ordinator proved effective during the COVID pandemic, and now we urge the government not to waste a moment in getting fuel to the farmers and fishers who need it most,” said National Farmers’ Federation president Hamish McIntyre.
McIntyre said while global factors were at the core of the fuel issue, the onus was on the government to provide timely information on how fuel would get to the starved regions where farmers need it to plant and harvest their crops in Autumn.
The United States was informed about plans for an Israeli strike on Iran’s massive offshore South Pars natural gas field, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the US “knew nothing” about the attack, but a person familiar with the matter said earlier on Wednesday (US time) that the US was informed about Israel’s plans to strike the gas field but did not take part.
The US-Israeli war with Iran is escalating pressure on the region’s energy sector, the price of oil surged another five per cent to more than $153 a barrel on international markets, increasing the cost of petrol and other goods while squeezing the global economy.
Iran has since retaliated with strikes on Qatar’s key natural gas site, and Qatar retaliated to this by ordering some Iranian embassy officials to leave the country.
Donald Trump has distanced the US and Qatar from an Israeli attack on a key Iranian natural gas field, while warning that the US will annihilate the facility if Tehran takes any further retaliatory action against Qatar.
Iran’s massive offshore South Pars natural gas facility came under attack earlier, and the country retaliated by firing missiles at Israel and Qatari LNG sites.
Trump confirmed Israel was responsible for the attack at South Pars, saying the country had “violently lashed out” due to its anger at what has taken place in the Middle East.
“The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen,” the US president said on social media.
Qatar said today that Iranian missile attacks damaged more liquefied natural gas sites in the energy-rich nation, “causing sizable fires and extensive further damage”.
Qatar Energy, the nation’s state-owned oil and gas company, announced the damage.
It said firefighters were working to halt the blazes and no one had been injured.
Qatar is a key source of natural gas for the world’s energy markets. It already shut its production earlier in the war, but extensive damage could delay Qatar in getting its supplies to the market after the Iran war ends.
NSW Premier Chris Minns says there should be enough fuel in the state, but shortfalls at some service stations are undeniable, as the government seeks an answer for why.
“There’s been an increase in the fuel reserve for the domestic market, and the sulphur content has been relaxed for increased consumption,” Minns told parliament today.
“There should be enough fuel, as it stands today, for the NSW market, although undeniably we’re seeing shortfalls and limited supply in some markets,” he said.
Minns said about 80 petrol stations, primarily independents, don’t have access to diesel, and about half that number had no access to any fuel at all.
Former US National Counterterrorism Centre director Joe Kent says he and other senior administration officials with doubts about the Iran war, were prevented from sharing them with President Donald Trump.
Speaking on Tucker Carlson’s show, Kent, who resigned this week, claimed Israel forced Trump’s hand despite what he said was no evidence that Iran posed an imminent threat to the US.
“A good deal of key decision makers were not allowed to come and express their opinion to the president,” Kent told Carlson. “There wasn’t a robust debate.”
Kent, a former Green Beret, declined to say who blocked his access to Trump when Carlson asked.
AP
