Good afternoon,
Iran has threatened “zero restraint” after launching a new round of drone strikes against oil and gas facilities in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Defying calls by Emmanuel Macron for a ceasefire on energy infrastructure, Iran’s actions are causing chaos for the global economy.
Elsewhere, Paul Nuki, our Global Health Security Editor, argues that Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are no longer fighting the same war. While the US president considers negotiating, Israel ramps up its strikes in the region.
Chris Evans, Editor
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Princess Anne wearing the coat in 1969 vs 2026; the collar has since been replaced with a more simple version
Iran launches new strikes after Macron ceasefire demand
Iran has launched a new round of drone strikes against oil and gas facilities across the Gulf, defying calls by Emmanuel Macron, the French president, for a ceasefire on energy infrastructure.
The attacks caused extensive damage to the world’s largest gas plant in Qatar, targeted a refinery in Saudi Arabia, forced the United Arab Emirates to shut gas facilities and started fires at two Kuwaiti refineries.
Earlier, Macron had urged Iran, Israel and the US to halt strikes on critical infrastructure in the Middle East, warning the destruction would have “a much more lasting impact” than the conflict itself.
Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field on Wednesday, which Donald Trump claimed he “knew nothing about”.
In retaliation, Iran hit the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas plant in Qatar, knocking out 17 per cent of its export capacity for up to five years, and threatened to show “zero restraint” if its energy infrastructure is targeted again.
The FTSE 100 plunged and energy markets reacted sharply, with Brent crude rising nearly 11 per cent to $119 (£94) a barrel and gas prices jumping to double the level seen before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran.
Britain has sent senior military officers to the United States to help draw up plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports. However, Royal Navy ships are not expected to be sent to the region until tensions ease.
Go deeper with our full coverage of the Iran war:
• Iran’s attack on Qatar gas citadel blows up Britain’s energy security ➤
• David Blair: The war has escalated into a dangerous new phase ➤
• UK borrowing costs rise three times faster than rest of Europe – Follow the latest ➤
Opinion
Judith Woods
The King must visit Trump. Only he can save the special relationship
Now that the US president has lost all patience with lame duck Keir Starmer, it’s down to Charles to act as Britain’s diplomat-in-chief
Your Essential Reads
Donald Trump claimed that the US ‘knew nothing’ about Benjamin Netanyahu’s attack on an Iranian gas field
Paul Nuki: Trump and Netanyahu are no longer fighting the same war
Donald Trump’s put-down of Israel for hitting an Iranian gas field and escalating the conflict should come as no surprise. After Wednesday’s strike, Trump clarified that the US “knew nothing about this particular attack”. It may finally be dawning on the president that Israeli and US interests are not fully aligned.
For Serena Kutchinsky, telling her father’s life story has not been an easy process
Drugs, blackmail, affairs: I spent 10 years uncovering the excess that destroyed my family’s empire
My grandfather transformed our modest London jewellery business into a glamorous rival to Cartier, a legacy my father took over in the mid-1980s, writes Serena Kutchinsky. My father’s ambition culminated in a catastrophic vanity project: a 2ft-tall, 15kg gold egg set with 20,000 rare pink diamonds. The £7m masterpiece travelled first class under the name “Mr Egg”, yet it bankrupted our empire and sent my father spiralling into an addiction to opiate-laced cough syrup. Decades after his death, I embarked on a quest for the glittering relic that tore us apart.
The Government should make the UK an attractive place to invest, not pass authoritarian laws to make that happen
Tom McPhail: Torsten Bell wants control of our pensions. We must stop him
Without intervention, the Government will soon grant itself the powers to take control of our pensions. This means our hard-earned money could be invested according to political whim, rather than in the interests of our financial wellbeing. Tom McPhail, with 40 years’ experience in the pension industry, takes the fight to Torsten Bell, the pensions minister.
Continue reading ➤
Greg Dickinson visits a section of the King Charles III England Coast Path in Havant
The 2,700-mile King Charles III England Coast Path finally launches today
What to watch tonight
BBC Two, 9pm
Black Waters: The Sea Empress Disaster
In February 1996, one of Britain’s biggest environmental disasters unfolded off the Pembrokeshire coast when the oil tanker Sea Empress ran aground, spilling 70,000 tonnes of oil. This documentary gathers the major players together.
Our pick of the best shows on BBC iPlayer➤
Amazon Prime Video
Last One Laughing UK
Jimmy Carr’s unbeatable comedy competition returns with a new batch of comedians trying to make each other smile or laugh, thereby getting them eliminated. The stellar line-up includes Bob Mortimer, the returning champion, plus David Mitchell, Alan Carr, Mel Giedroyc and more.
Channel 5, 8pm
Alexander Armstrong In India
Armstrong’s amiable jolly concludes with a look at the gulf between India’s rich and poor. He visits the Bangalore Club, where the waiting list is 18 years long and his casual footwear is frowned upon.
Our pick of the best TV shows to watch on Channel 5➤
BBC One, 9pm
The Apprentice
The remaining contestants are tasked with repeating week one’s Hong Kong-based mission of a scavenger hunt to purchase unusual items, but this time on the Isle of Wight.
BBC Two, 11pm
Film of the Day: The King’s Speech (2010)
Tom Hooper’s stirring film about the future King George VI’s struggle to overcome his stammer won multiple Oscars, including Best Actor for Colin Firth. Geoffrey Rush co-stars as the King’s speech therapist.
Our pick of the greatest biopics of all time ➤
The full guide to what to watch on TV➤
Your say
Own goals
Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories.
Orlando writes…
Ah, PE. Not, as I mentioned in this morning’s From the Editor newsletter, an arena in which I experienced notable glory at school. Still, I’m far from alone in that respect, and you’ve been responding with your own tales of ignominy on the playing field.
Richard Bowen recalls: “When I was in primary school, we had trials for the rugby team. We were told to stop an opponent by diving at his feet or legs. I saw the old-fashioned large studs on the boots and didn’t fancy having them in my face. So, as my opponent was running towards me, I dived just behind him. I was immediately sent off and told to play football in future.”
Mark Revelle adds: “At school 1,300 boys played rugby on a Saturday afternoon. One of the pitches was known as ‘the tank’, because below it was some kind of open sewage course. At the end of play the teams had to wait for everyone else to finish in the baths before being allowed in. By which time there was no hot water left.”
Finally, Lawrence Connelly writes in with two memories: “When I was 15, I was a goalkeeper in a junior league game, and we played a home game in the snow. We were winning easily, I had nothing to do, and my feet were cold and wet from standing in the snow, so I climbed up the goalpost and sat on the crossbar. The referee stopped the game and told me to get down.
“On another occasion, we played a game in Jarrow, in the snow and freezing cold, with no changing facilities: we changed on the pitch. When the game finished, all of my teammates headed for the bus home, abandoning me. I couldn’t untie my boot laces, as my hands were frozen. I went to a house beside the pitch, knocked on the door and asked if I could change there. The lady took me in, allowed me to warm up and change, and gave me tea and cake. Then her husband gave me a lift into Newcastle to get the bus home.”
That’s all from me for today, folks. I’ll be back tomorrow to bring you the best Telegraph talking points. In the meantime you can contact me here.
today’s Quiz
England’s largest rhododendron is the size of 10 double-decker buses. How many years ago was it planted?
Today’s Episode
‘Treacherous, disloyal and duplicitous’ – the explosive truth about Harry and Meghan
Camilla and Tim speak to Tom Bower about the explosive claims from his book and the Sussexes’ furious response
Find it on
Apple Podcasts ➤ Spotify ➤ Acast ➤
Chris Evans, Editor
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