Middle East turmoil revives Norway push for Arctic drilling


By AFP
March 14, 2026


Norway wants to dig into the reported huge oil and gas reserves in its Arctic regions - Copyright US ARMY/AFP -

Pierre-Henry DESHAYES, with Adrien DE CALAN in Brussels

Already the continent’s biggest single supplier of natural gas since Russia invaded Ukraine, Norway is hoping to use the Middle East war to get European Union blessing to drill in the Arctic.

The European Commission is revising its Arctic strategy, which has since 2021 committed the EU to work towards an international moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the region.

With Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial conduit for oil and gas deliveries — Norwegian politicians and business circles have been quick to lobby for the planned ban to be scrapped.

“They’re taking advantage of the situation to apply pressure,” said Anne Karin Saether, project manager at the Norwegian Climate Foundation, an independent body that promotes science-backed climate policies.

Ahead of Monday’s close of the European Commission’s public consultation, Norway — which is not an EU member but is closely aligned on many issues — has seized every opportunity to extol the virtues of stable energy supplies from a democratic and peaceful country.

Even if that means drilling in the Arctic.

“Against the backdrop of Ukraine and Iran, it may now be even easier to scare European policymakers,” said Truls Gulowsen, head of the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature.



– Lobbying efforts –



“We’ve noticed the lobbying efforts from the Norwegian oil industry,” a European diplomat in Brussels told AFP.

“My sense is they are concerned about restrictions on oil and gas extraction. Drill, baby, drill, in other words,” he said.

Norway supplies nearly a third of Europe’s gas needs, after the war in Ukraine cut Russian gas deliveries.

The Scandinavian country has only two gas fields above the Arctic Circle, Snohvit and Aasta Hansteen. But Oslo is encouraging exploration.

In January, the government proposed opening 70 new blocs to prospecting, more than half of them in the Arctic waters of the Barents Sea.

According to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, Norway’s undiscovered resources are estimated at 3.48 billion cubic meters of equivalent oil and gas, 60 percent of which are believed to be in the Barents Sea.

“Norway generally makes a point of sharing its knowledge about the country with Brussels so that EU member states have the best possible basis for making their decisions,” Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland told AFP.

“The fact that there is a war in the Middle East today has nothing to do with Norway’s position on oil activities in the North,” he insisted.

Stressing that the EU and Britain now buy “all the oil and gas” that Norway produces in the Barents Sea, Aasland argued that “prices would have been much higher” without these resources.

In remarks seen as possibly pressuring EU countries, Aasland warned last week that the Middle East conflict could lead the EU to reconsider its position on doing without Russian oil and gas.

Norway’s Confederation of Trade Unions has also called for more Arctic exploration.

One of its representatives in Brussels, Nora Hansen, stressed “the importance of jobs and of keeping people in the northern regions”, seeing these as a security guarantee against neighbouring Russia.



– Risk of sabotage –



“Even if the EU abandons its proposed moratorium, it will in any case take several decades before new oil and gas activities in the Arctic begin production,” said Karoline Andaur, the head of WWF Norway.

Although the European Commission’s revised Arctic strategy is only due to be published in the second half of the year, it has already said that, at least for now, its “position has not changed” on an Arctic hydrocarbon moratorium.

But some fear there will be compromises and concessions.

Noting that its waters are ice-free thanks to the Gulf Stream, the Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy has, for example, suggested excluding the Barents Sea from the EU’s definition of the Arctic.

That would be a bad idea, Saether warned, citing environmental and climate-related objections: according to the International Energy Agency, global deposits of oil and gas already discovered or being exploited are sufficient to meet demand compatible with climate targets.

A Norwegian Climate Foundation report, entitled “The Barents Sea at Stake”, also highlighted security challenges.

Because of its proximity to Russia, the area would be an easy target for Russia, which is keen to maintain its dominant position in the Arctic.

“This makes us particularly vulnerable, because Russia, with some pretty simple sabotage against gas pipelines up there, could strike not only Norway but Europe as well,” Saether said.

“We would become a more tempting target.”

Democrats accuse Trump of aiding Russia with sanctions relief

By AFP
March 13, 2026


Russia relies on a shadow fleet of tankers to get past Western restrictions on its oil exports - Copyright AFP/File Damien MEYER

Democrats accused US President Donald Trump on Friday of weakening pressure on Russia by easing oil sanctions amid the conflict with Iran, saying the move risks boosting Moscow’s war revenues while American troops face threats of their own in the Middle East.

Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and two of his top lieutenants, Elizabeth Warren and Jeanne Shaheen, called for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to testify before Congress about the decision.

The senators noted media reports — partially endorsed by Trump in an interview on Friday — said Russia is providing Iran with intelligence that could be used to target US forces, even as the Trump administration loosens sanctions that constrained Moscow’s oil sector.

“Russia is reportedly providing Iran intelligence to target and kill US servicemembers and the Trump administration’s response has been to loosen pressure and help facilitate a windfall of $150 million each day for its war machine,” the senators said in a joint statement.

“President Trump is offering more relief to the Kremlin than he is to American families, who are now paying more at the pump and for most other essentials because of this conflict.”

Trump said in a radio interview that aired Friday he suspected Putin “might be” aiding Iran “a little bit” in the war.

He announced earlier this week that Washington would waive some oil-related sanctions in order to boost global supply and bring down prices, as the US-Israeli war with Iran disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and sends energy markets into turmoil.

The president did not specify which countries would benefit from the relief, but the move followed temporary steps allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil that had been stranded at sea under existing sanctions.

The Democratic senators argued that relaxing sanctions on Russian energy companies and related traders would generate major profits for Moscow at a time when the Kremlin remains under Western pressure over its invasion of Ukraine.

They also questioned whether the administration had complied with a US law requiring Congress to be notified before sanctions on Russia are eased.

“Secretary Bessent needs to testify because Congress and the American people deserve immediate answers,” the lawmakers said.

Why is the dollar profiting from Middle East war?


By AFP

March 14, 2026


The surge in energy prices triggered by the conflict in the Middle East has significantly strengthened the dollar - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File MARK WILSON

Lucie LEQUIER

The surge in energy prices triggered by the conflict in the Middle East has significantly strengthened the dollar, paradoxically undermining US President Donald Trump’s economic objectives.

AFP looks at the reasons behind the greenback’s rise against rivals.

– King of oil –

At the start of the conflict almost two weeks ago, investors began massively selling assets, turning to energy investments in anticipation of a supply crisis — and to the dollar — the currency used to price oil and gas.

Attacks on Gulf infrastructure and the blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz has propelled the price of Brent North Sea crude, the global benchmark, by more than one third to around $100 per barrel.

With more dollars needed to purchase oil, the greenback has appreciated by around 2.5 percent since the start of hostilities, according to the Dollar Index, which compares the US unit to a basket of major currencies.

The dollar, seen as a highly liquid asset owing to it being readily available and exchangeable, is seen also as a leading safe haven investment.

It is favoured for international trades as well as foreign exchange reserves held by central banks.

– The US spared –

The United States has so far been spared from the oil supply crisis thanks to the country being the world’s leading producer of crude.

Although it still imports the commodity, the US purchases only eight percent of its requirement from the Gulf, compared with nearly two-thirds from Canada, according to the most recent official data from the US Energy Information Administration.

Rising oil prices tend to support the dollar also thanks to the US being a net exporter of refined petroleum products and gas, in turn boosting the nation’s trade balance.

By comparison, European and Asian economies which are more reliant on Gulf imports are being hit harder, making their currencies and bonds less attractive.

– Risks to inflation –

The dollar is additionally profiting from the possibility of a fresh inflation hike caused by soaring energy costs.

This is because it increases the likelihood of the US Federal Reserve slowing the pace of its planned cuts to interest rates, while even forcing it to possibly raise borrowing costs in the short term.

The prospect of higher interest rates for longer strengthens the appeal of the dollar, to the detriment of dollar-denominated gold and another traditional safe haven.

Despite recent strengthening, the dollar has not yet recovered to the levels it reached ahead of Trump’s return to the White House.

Offsetting the currency’s recent gains are concerns about the impact of Trump’s tariffs on the world’s biggest economy.

Fears surrounding high US debt levels and the president’s pressure over the independence of American institutions, notably the Fed, have also weighed upon its value.

“The dollar remains in demand and well supported,” Kathleen Brooks, analyst at traders XTB, told AFP.

“However, as the conflict drags on the attractiveness of the dollar could diminish… The US still has a massive budget deficit, which could get worse due to the war, as military spending may need to rise sharply in the coming months.”

– Trump’s paradox –

Market developments since the start of the conflict run counter to the objectives initially stated by Trump, who has pledged to lower gas prices, fight for lower interest rates, as well as advocating for a weak dollar to support exports.

Countering this, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asserted at the end of January that the “US always has a strong dollar policy”.

Mark Sobel, a former senior Treasury official, told AFP that “the administration’s views on the dollar are confused, muddled and inconsistent”.

Marc Chandler, analyst at Bannockburn Capital Markets, meanwhile concluded that for the US government, “denying Iran nuclear weapons or missiles seems to have a higher priority than the short-run impact of the foreign exchange market”.

Mideast war plunges Germany’s energy-hungry industry into crisis


By AFP
March 13, 2026


Germany's traditional manufacturers face a new hammer blow from the Mideast war fallout - Copyright AFP Ina FASSBENDER

Sam Reeves and Jean-Philippe Lacour

Germany’s energy-hungry industries are sounding the alarm about the devastating impacts of the Middle East war as companies battle problems from surging power costs to snarled supply chains.

From chemicals to steel and cement, Europe’s biggest economy is a major producer of industrial goods that require huge quantities of power to make, and Germany imports much of its energy.

The price jumps triggered by the conflict and closure of key energy route the Strait of Hormuz, which has pushed oil above $100, is a hammer blow to traditional manufacturers who were already struggling.

Adding to the problems is chaos in global supply chains, which industry groups warn is leading to bottlenecks for vital basic inputs for manufacturing.

“Our companies are currently operating in absolute crisis mode,” said Wolfgang Grosse Entrup, chief executive of the VCI association representing chemical firms, one of Germany’s main industrial sectors.

“The signals we are receiving, particularly from small and medium-sized enterprises, are in some cases dramatic,” he said, adding that the “longer the war lasts, the more severe the consequences will be”.

With the war, that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, approaching the end of its second week, the signs of strain are clear among German firms.

SKW Piesteritz, a maker of agricultural chemicals in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, has had to reduce production of nitrogen-based fertiliser due to price rises for gas, a key input.

This is despite stronger demand due to fertiliser shortages globally caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“These price jumps are threatening for SKW Piesteritz if the prices for the main raw material cannot be passed on to customers”, managing director Carsten Franzke told AFP.

“We are currently seeing what happens when we fail to protect our own basic chemicals industry in Germany.”



– New blow for industry –



While some larger businesses stress it is too early to assess the fallout, they were clear that a drawn-out conflict and persistently higher energy costs would be very bad news.

Industrial giant Thyssenkrupp’s steel-making business, already in dire straits due to fierce Asian competition, said in a statement to AFP that a “permanently higher gas price would have an impact on production costs”.

Heidelberg Materials, one of the world’s top cement makers, gave a similar warning.

“A sustained rise in electricity prices would have significant consequences for the costs of cement production, particularly in Europe,” a company spokesman told AFP, while noting the impact for this year would likely be limited due to long-term power contracts.

For Seifert Logistics, which transports goods by truck, the impact has been more immediate, with its diesel costs soaring 50 percent since the outbreak of the war.

CEO Axel Frey told AFP that rising prices are usually passed on to customers but this can often take several months.

“In recent days, we have been on the phone with customers around the clock to adjust prices more quickly,” he told AFP, adding however that the firm had faced such situations before and predicted it would weather the storm.



– Green power ‘resilience’ –



Some major German corporations hope they won’t be as heavily impacted as they have in recent years shifted away from fossil fuels and towards renewables such as solar and wind.

Industrial conglomerate Siemens said it had slashed its consumption of fossil fuels by around 40 percent since 2022, noting its “decarbonisation strategy” had made it “more resilient”.

The economy ministry also stressed the government had already announced measures in recent times to protect industry from high power costs, including electricity subsidies for certain sectors and reductions in taxes.

But overall the fallout from the war is another blow for Europe’s traditional industrial powerhouse as it is struggling to rebound after a long period in the doldrums.

The Ifo Institute said this week a drawn-out conflict would put a brake on the recovery, reducing growth this year down from one percent to a meagre 0.6 percent.

Christian Kullmann, CEO of chemical company Evonik, warned the war would accelerate the decline of Germany’s energy-intensive industries.

“The rise in gas and oil prices will eat through the entire value chain,” he told news outlet Der Spiegel.

“The tender buds of a German economic recovery may not be crushed by the war in the Middle East, but they will certainly be significantly damaged.”

Global shipping industry caught in storm of war


By AFP
March 13, 2026


The war has upended the global shipping industry -- and price hikes could get passed on to consumers - Copyright AFP/File Jean-Francois MONIER

Isabel MALSANG

For anyone in the import business, the economic risks from the war in the Middle East arrive by sea — and that goes for everyone who buys their products, too.

As the war rages into its third week, the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz has upended not just the oil and gas industries but worldwide transport via container ship, the symbol of globalised trade.

Just ask French importer Emmanuel Benichou, who is nervously watching the war’s impact on prices for the lawn furniture he imports from China and sells online.

“Our prices haven’t gone up yet, but if the war goes on for months, we’ll either have to cut our margins or raise our prices,” he told AFP.

The Middle East accounted for just 9.8 percent of global container trade last year, according to British maritime consultancy Clarksons, cited by Bloomberg.

But in a world of intricate trade links, the chaos unleashed by the war has knock-on effects around the globe.

Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has blocked thousands of commercial ships, meaning many cannot reach the right port at the right time.

“There’s merchandise sitting in India that’s supposed to be delivered in Saudi Arabia,” the chief executive of maritime transport giant CMA CGM, Rodolphe Saade, told French newspaper Le Figaro.

The fact that civilian ships have become targets in the Gulf exacerbates the situation.

Twenty commercial ships, among which nine oil tankers, have been attacked since the war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, or have signaled incidents, according to AFP monitoring with British maritime security group UKTMO and other sources.



– Surcharges –



And the surge in fuel prices caused by the blockade of the strait — the usual shipping lane for around 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas — is causing transport companies to impose surcharges.

Both CMA CGM and its competitor Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) have jacked up prices because of the war, Benichou said.

“HMM is charging an extra $230 per container in emergency fuel surcharges,” he said. “CMA CGM is charging a $155 surcharge.”

He is no stranger to the market.

His business savvy, he said, consists of “knowing how to buy and how to transport”.

His company Aosom imports around 400 containers a month.

“I know how to take advantage of shipping opportunities,” he said.

In peacetime, he jumps at the chance whenever shipping companies with spare capacity offer discounts in freight rates.

Conversely, “in the busy season, just before Chinese New Year, for example, we always see extra fees,” he said.

But they usually return to normal soon enough.

Now, shipping prices keep climbing. The cost of sending a container from Asia to Europe has jumped from $2,500 before the war to as much as $4,000, he said.

And prices rise the longer the route grows.

Most container ships are already required to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal over fears of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels — making the route to Europe longer, and fuel costs more expensive.



– ‘Mountains of containers’ –



If the war drags on, Benichou said he fears more surcharges for security risks, ship blockages, insurance, and storing merchandise stranded far from its final port of call.

In the Middle East, shipping companies have taken to using lorries to get containers to their destinations.

They are also redirecting ships toward Europe and Africa and seeking alternative ports along new corridors.

In the Gulf, where container ships can no longer access the crucial port of Dubai, CMA CGM is unloading merchandise just before the Strait of Hormuz at another United Arab Emirates port, Khor Fakkan.

“The risk is getting stuck with mountains of containers that block port terminals and cause huge delays,” the CEO of shipping giant Maersk, Vincent Clerc, told newspaper Le Monde.

For some, it brings back bad memories of the Covid pandemic, reviving fears of a global supply chain collapse.

Benichou remembers shipping costs soaring then to $14,000 per container.

Mideast war cuts Hormuz strait transit to 77 ships: maritime data firm

The 77 transits recorded so far this month compare with 1,229 passages between March 1 and 11 last year

By AFP
March 13, 2026


A page on the Marinetraffic website from March 4 shows commercial boats traffic backed up on either side of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast - Copyright AFP JULIEN DE ROSA

Only 77 ships have so far crossed the Strait of Hormuz in March as the Mideast war disrupts one of the world’s most vital shipping routes, a maritime data firm reported Friday.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence said most of these vessels belonged to the so-called “shadow fleet” — ships used to skirt Western sanctions and regulations, typically linked to Russia and Iran.

They are often ageing ships in poor condition, without proper insurance and with opaque ownership.

The 77 transits recorded so far this month compare with 1,229 passages between March 1 and 11 last year, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have all but closed the Strait of Hormuz, which borders Iran and through which 20 percent of global oil supplies pass.

Since the start of March, 20 commercial vessels, including nine oil tankers, have been attacked or reported incidents, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency.

Meanwhile, the International Maritime Organization has confirmed 16 incidents in the area, including eight involving oil tankers.

Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that “the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely be used.”

The strategy is aimed at harming the global economy in order to exert pressure on the United States.

“Over half of the tankers and gas carriers going through are shadow fleets,” said Bridget Diakun, a senior analyst at Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

“These ships are really used to disruptions,” so are more likely to attempt the passage, she added.

According to the firm, vessels affiliated with Iran account for 26 percent of passages through Hormuz, followed by Greece with 13 percent and China with 12 percent.

“The main takeaway here is that… Iran is still exporting,” Diakun said.

Separately, AFP counted around 40 vessels that have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict, considering only those that kept their AIS transponder — the automatic identification system — switched on.

US embassy in Iraq hit as Mideast War enters third week


By AFP
March 14, 2026


US Army handout photos showed HIMARS multiple rocket launchers firing from te desert during strikes on Iran - Copyright US ARMY/AFP -

AFP bureaux in Baghdad, Tehran, Dubai, Washington and Beirut

Explosions rocked cities across the Middle East on Saturday as the US embassy in Baghdad was hit by a drone strike and Tehran warned Emiratis to stay away from ports as it targets the world’s energy supply lines.

Washington’s embassy in Iraq was hit for the second time since February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran and plunged the Gulf into a conflict that has sent shockwaves through the global economy.

Waves of drone, missile and aerial bombing have displaced millions in the region and reportedly killed more than 1,200 people in Iran.

Clouds of dark black smoke were seen rising from Fujairah, home to a major Emirati port and home to oil storage and an export terminal. Shortly beforehand, the Iranian military had issued a warning for Emirati civilians to avoid port areas exposed to drone and missile strikes.

Despite facing superior US and Israeli firepower, Iran appears determined to fight on, launching missile and drone attacks against at least 10 of is neighbours and effectively barring the chokepoint Strait of Hormuz to sea traffic.

A cloud of black smoke rose above the US diplomatic mission in the Iraqi capital, an AFP journalist saw.

It followed strikes against the powerful Iran-backed group Kataeb Hezbollah, killing two members including a “key figure”, security sources said.

President Donald Trump said Friday that US forces had hit Iran’s Kharg Island, its biggest oil export hub, and “obliterated” military targets while sparing its energy facilities.

Iranian media confirmed there was no damage to oil facilities on the island.

Iran’s threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have brought traffic to a virtual halt on a route that normally carries one fifth of global oil supplies.

Crude oil prices have surged more than 40 percent since the war began.

Iran had threatened US-linked oil and energy firms would “immediately be destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes” if the US struck its oil facilities, according to Iranian media.

Trump said the US Navy would start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “very soon” to restore oil exports.



– Tabriz warning –



Strikes have continued in Iran, with heavy blasts shaking the Tehran late Friday.

The Israeli army told people in an industrial zone in the west of Iran’s northern city of Tabriz to leave ahead of military operations on Saturday.

Iran’s health ministry says more than 1,200 people have been killed by US and Israeli attacks, numbers that could not be independently verified.

The UN refugee agency has estimated that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced inside Iran since the war started.

Trump described Iran as “totally defeated” and in search of a deal he was unwilling to consider.

According to the Pentagon, the US and Israel have struck more than 15,000 targets in Iran over the past two weeks.

Israel’s military said it conducted 7,600 strikes on the country, most of them against its missile programme.

Iran’s rulers appear intent on showing they will come through the war intact and in control, despite their supreme leader Ali Khamenei being killed at the start of the US-Israeli campaign.

Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei was named the new supreme leader, but has been absent from public view and is said to be wounded.

Within Iran, the Revolutionary Guards have warned they will crackdown heavily on any anti-government protests, after demonstrations in January in which several thousand people were killed.

Iranian authorities have maintained an internet blackout since the war started.

The United States is reportedly sending reinforcements that could open up options beyond the airborne campaign.

The Wall Street Journal and New York Times said Friday the Pentagon had dispatched the Japan-based amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli to the region along with its complement of some 2,500 Marines.

The US military has lost 13 personnel, including six aboard a refuelling aircraft that crashed in Iraq, an incident US officials said was not the result of hostile fire.



– Hamas urges restraint –



Qatar said it intercepted two missiles Saturday and evacuated key areas after blasts were heard in the capital Doha.

Interceptors were seen downing two projectiles over the Qatari capital’s downtown area and blasts were heard, according to AFP journalists.

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said its forces had intercepted dozens of drones on Friday.

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas called on Saturday for Iran to refrain from targeting neighbouring countries, in a rare breach between the two allies, though it affirmed Tehran’s right to defend itself.

Beyond the Gulf, Turkey said NATO forces shot down a ballistic missile launched from Iran — the third such interception in the war.

Lebanon has been drawn into the war, too, after the Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel following the death of Khamenei.

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed a dozen doctors, paramedics and nurses at a healthcare clinic, Lebanese health authorities said Saturday.

According to the Lebanese authorities, at least 773 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon aimed at wiping out Iranian ally Hezbollah.

French soldier killed in attack in Iraqi Kurdistan


By AFP
March 12, 2026


A plume of smoke rises following an interception of a drone in Erbil, Iraq on March 12, 2026 - Copyright AFP Shvan HARKI

A French soldier was killed in an attack in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, confirming the first French military death in the Middle East war.

Since US-Israeli strikes on Iran last month engulfed the Middle East in war, multiple attacks attributed to pro-Iranian factions have targeted the region where foreign forces are based as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition.

The member of the armed forces “died for France during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq,” Macron posted on X, adding that several soldiers were also wounded.

He did not say who was behind the attack.

The French military said earlier that drones had hit a base where troops were taking part in counter-terrorism training with Iraqi counterparts.

The governor of Erbil said the strike involved two drones and hit a base in Mala Qara, around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the regional capital.

The French military said on Thursday that six people had been wounded in the attack. It was not clear whether the solider who died was among that toll.

“The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks,” Macron said, calling the strike “unacceptable”.

The soldier’s death follows a separate drone strike on an Italian base in Erbil, within a military compound that was hosting other foreign troops.

No injuries were reported in that attack, but Italy said it was temporarily withdrawing its military personnel from the base.

Soldiers from several countries, including Italy and France, are training members of the Kurdish security forces in Iraqi Kurdistan as part of the anti-jihadist coalition led by Washington.

“Their presence in Iraq is part of the strict framework of the fight against terrorism,” Macron posted on Friday, referring to the French troops who had been attacked.

Macron has insisted that his country’s stance in the Middle East war is “strictly defensive”.

Facing rockets, Arabs in northern Israel fume over lack of shelters


By AFP
arch 13, 2026


Mayor Mazen Ghanayem complained about the lack of shelters in his Arab town in northern Israel - Copyright AFP Odd ANDERSEN

Hervé BAR

Threatened by volleys of Hezbollah rockets and missiles from Iran, residents of Arab towns in northern Israel are complaining about a lack of public shelters.

“The state is obliged to build public shelters so that the entire population has access to safe havens,” Mazen Ghanayem, mayor of the town of Sakhnin, told AFP.

“Yet our town doesn’t have a single public shelter worthy of the name.”

Located just 20 kilometres from the border with Lebanon, the town’s 36,000 residents have grown all too used to the rockets fired by Hezbollah.

Since the militant group joined the Middle East war on the side of its backer Tehran, after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran, Sakhnin has lived with the rhythm of air raid sirens.

“Sometimes rocket fragments fall on houses,” Ghanayem said.

Perched on a hillside, the town’s Arab identity, both Muslim and Christian, is clear to see. The domes of mosques jut into the air alongside church spires.

Its football club, which plays in the Israeli premier league, is a source of pride. So too is an uprising by Israel’s Arab minority which, in 1976, forced the state to back down in its attempt to confiscate local land.



– ‘Rather get hit’ –



When the sirens blare, “residents first take shelter in their homes, as best they can if the house is old or in a secure room if the building is new,” explained Kasim Abu Raya, a municipal official.

For those caught out in the open, there are no underground car parks to dash to in this modest town.

Abu Raya showed a video on his mobile phone of his wife and daughter when they were out in the road during an alert.

Frightened and not knowing where to go, they hastily took cover under the steps of a villa whose owners had themselves left everything on the table and hurried off.

To provide more locations to hide, the mayor says that around a dozen schools have been ordered to constantly keep their doors open.

The town also has around a dozen emergency shelters, concrete rectangular boxes measuring three by six metres, close to certain public places.

Resembling something between a reinforced bus stop and a public toilet, some of these mini-bunkers appear to be in an unappealing condition inside.

The shelter in the town hall car park has excrement smeared on the floor and reeks of urine. In others AFP found rubbish piled up at the entrance.

“I’d rather get hit than take shelter in there,” joked mayor Ghanayem, not dwelling on who was responsible for their upkeep.

Nevertheless, in emergencies, people do still use them.

In the neighbouring town of Majd el-Kroum, AFP saw around a dozen people abandon their cars and cram like sardines into a shelter during a missile salvo.



– ‘Immoral’ situation –



“These mini-bunkers can accommodate a handful of people for a few minutes,” mayor Ghanayem said.

“But they look more like a trap. This is clearly not a solution for ensuring the safety of my fellow citizens.”

The problem with the lack of shelters was known about well before the most recent war with Iran.

According to a 2025 report by the State Comptroller, 33 percent of Israelis have no protected space or compliant shelter.

This figure rises to 50 percent for non-Jewish Israelis, and reaches 70 percent in Arab localities in the north.

In June 2025, during the previous war with Iran, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel expressed concern over the “not only immoral but also unconstitutional” situation.

“While the state allocates significant resources to protecting Jewish communities, including illegal settlements and outposts in the West Bank, it refrains from acting in the same manner in Arab communities,” the association said.

That certainly rings true with the mayor of Sakhnin.

“When you look at the Jewish community, in every town, every village, every kibbutz, there are public shelters everywhere,” said Ghanayem.

“Not here, and certainly not in Sakhnin.”

Dubai’s low-paid workers on edge as Mideast war hits tourism


By AFP
March 13, 2026


Dubai's tourism sector has taken a heavy hit since the start of the war - Copyright AFP Fadel SENNA

Sahar AL ATTAR

For thousands of workers in Dubai’s tourism sector, the Middle East war has brought business to a standstill — leaving their income suddenly at risk.

At the famous Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), normally heaving with visitors, rows of sun loungers now face an almost empty sea.

Restaurant terraces sit deserted, while souvenir, watersports and perfume vendors watch for the rare passerby.

Across the water, Ain Dubai — the world’s tallest Ferris wheel — has stopped turning, and the Madame Tussauds wax museum below is drawing few visitors despite hefty discounts.

“Yesterday: zero. Today: zero. Not a single customer,” said Dulash, 26, a Sri Lankan worker at a jet-ski rental company.

“I’ve never seen Dubai like this.”

With its artificial islands and soaring skyscrapers, the UAE’s second city has become a major Middle Eastern tourism hub, welcoming nearly 19.6 million visitors last year.

But in the middle of peak season, before the summer heat sets in, the barrage of Iranian missiles and drones since February 28 has sent tourists fleeing.

Starved of income, the industry is hoping for a quick end to the war, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

But many workers, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said they were already struggling.

Paid 4,500 dirhams ($1,225) a month, Dulash did not receive his salary on time.

“I borrowed 1,000 dirhams from a friend, paid my 800-dirham rent and now I have 200 dirhams left to live on,” he said. He had no idea when his employer would catch up.

“Even going back home isn’t an option,” he added. Airfares had tripled because of reduced flight traffic. “We have no choice but to wait and hope.”



– ‘That scares me’ –



The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimated this week that the war is costing the Middle East $600 million a day.

In the UAE, the sector made up nearly 13 percent of GDP in 2025 and supported about 925,000 jobs, mostly expats.

Many workers come from Asian countries or elsewhere in the Middle East, drawn by hopes of safety and economic stability.

“I’m from Syria, I’ve lived through war so missiles and drones don’t scare me,” said a young perfume seller.

“But I’m paid only on commission, and the idea of no longer being able to afford to stay here — that, yes, that scares me.”

Kalhan, also from Sri Lanka, earns a small percentage on each sale, topping up a fixed salary of barely 3,000 dirhams — an amount he will have to survive on this month.

“I came to Dubai for better living conditions, but now I don’t know what comes next,” he said.

As the Eid al-Fitr holiday approaches, hundreds of Dubai’s luxury hotels are slashing rates in a bid to attract at least local residents and their families.

Offers are piling up on the man-made Palm Jumeirah island, where one hotel was hit by drone debris early in the conflict.

Another property was damaged on Thursday in Dubai’s Creek Harbour.

Industry professionals also fear lasting damage to the country’s image as a haven of peace and security in a volatile region.

Nabil Haryouli, owner of a Dubai-based travel agency, said there would “certainly be an impact for a few months”, but he believed visitors would eventually return.

“What matters most is the return of stability,” said the Frenchman, recalling the city’s resilience after the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid pandemic.

“If there’s one city that has shown us it can bounce back, it’s Dubai.”

Airport workers miss pay as US government shutdown hits one month


By AFP
March 13, 2026


People wait in line at a TSA security checkpoint at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas on March 10, 2026 - Copyright afp/AFP/File Mark Felix

Frankie TAGGART

US airport security officers missed their first full paycheck Friday as a partial funding shutdown of the government approached the one-month mark, with no breakthrough in a congressional standoff that is beginning to disrupt travel across the country.

The lapse in funding is forcing thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff to work without pay as spring travel picks up, raising fears of staffing shortages, longer security lines and flight delays.

TSA officers — the army of workers who screen passengers, baggage and cargo — received only partial pay two weeks ago.

Friday’s missed payment represents the first full check lost since the shutdown began, and unions and government officials warn the financial strain is pushing some workers to quit or seek other jobs.

More than 300 TSA employees have already left the agency since the shutdown began on February 14, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said, while US media reported unscheduled absences had more than doubled.

Airports in several cities have warned passengers to arrive hours earlier than usual because of long security lines.

Some officers are already taking on second jobs or relying on donations, union officials say, while several major airports are collecting gift cards and stocking food pantries for TSA staff struggling without pay during the travel-heavy spring break season.

“Numerous employees have reported to me that their bank accounts are at zero or negative,” Johnny Jones, a Dallas-based official in government workers’ union AFGE, told USA TODAY.

“No funds for daycare, no funds for food. They just want to know why the hell they can’t get paid when we have money to shoot missiles into other countries.”

The shutdown stems from a dispute over funding for the DHS, the only federal department still without an approved budget after Congress completed most of its spending bills last year.

– ‘Nightmare’ –

Democrats say they will not support funding immigration enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection without reforms to their operations.

Republicans say those demands are unacceptable and accuse Democrats of refusing to negotiate.

The stalemate has hardened in the Senate, where Democrats have repeatedly blocked legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House to fund the department.

Republicans, in turn, rejected a Democratic proposal that would fund other DHS agencies while leaving immigration enforcement unresolved.

“Thanks to the Democrats’ reckless shutdown, security lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are stretching OUT THE DOOR,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement about long lines at the Texas hub.

“The Democrats’ political games are making spring break travel a NIGHTMARE as they continue to withhold funding from DHS and refuse to pay our (TSA) officers.”

The shutdown is now the third in recent months to affect DHS employees.

Despite the growing disruption, negotiators appear no closer to a compromise. The White House says Democrats are responsible for the impasse, while Democrats argue the administration has refused to make meaningful changes to immigration enforcement policies.

Airports and travel groups warn that the impact could intensify if the shutdown drags on, particularly as the busy summer travel season approaches.

Industry officials say the longer the stalemate lasts, the greater the risk that exhausted workers will leave, potentially straining airport security operations nationwide.

“Democrats have tried — six separate times — to pass simple bills to keep these critical parts of DHS running while negotiations continue,” Senate Democratic Minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

“Six times Republicans came to the floor and blocked them. TSA officers shouldn’t miss paychecks, disaster relief shouldn’t be left hanging, and Americans’ safety shouldn’t be collateral damage in a political standoff Republicans created.”