Why Iran is targeting energy facilities – Mar 20 2026

UK Edition – Today's top story: Why Iran is attacking Gulf energy infrastructure

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UK Edition | 20 March 2026

Iran has intensified its attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf, hitting facilities across the region in retaliation for an earlier Israeli strike on a major Iranian gas field. The attacks have caused oil and gas prices to surge, a situation only worsened by Donald Trump’s threat to “blow up” Iran’s South Pars gas field entirely.

As Matthew Powell of the University of Portsmouth explains, Iran’s actions are part of a broader strategy. By targeting energy facilities, it can inflict economic damage on Gulf states, potentially pushing them to reconsider their ties with the US. High energy prices may also increase international pressure on Washington to bring the conflict to an end.

In the 250th episode of our podcast, The Conversation Weekly, we’ve been examining an irony of this conflict. Arun Dawson, of King’s College London, explains how the drones being used by the US are in fact based on technology that was originally developed in Iran.

Elsewhere, we explore why drawing eyes on food packaging could deter seagulls from stealing your chips. And you might be paying for more digital subscriptions than you actually use.

Sam Phelps

Commissioning Editor, International Affairs

Why Iran is attacking Gulf energy infrastructure

Matthew Powell, University of Portsmouth

Iran’s attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure are part of a broader strategy the regime in Tehran has employed to try and ensure its survival.

How the US copied a cheap Iranian kamikaze drone and used it to bomb Iran

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Arun Dawson talks to The Conversation Weekly podcast about the history of Iran’s Shahed drones and how the US cloned them.

Why drawing eyes on food packaging could stop seagulls stealing your chips

Laura Kelley, University of Exeter

New research shows that displaying a pair of eyes on food packaging can be enough to stop some gulls pinching your food.

Why you may be paying more than you need to for digital subscriptions

Erhan Kilincarslan, University of Huddersfield

All those small payments add up.

Politics + Society

• What to expect next from the ‘special relationship’ as Trump again lashes out at Keir Starmer
  

  Stephen Marsh, Cardiff University

  Unlike previous US administrations, this one doesn’t consistently work with the British government to put a positive face on Anglo-American relations.

Arts + Culture

• Winnie-the-Pooh at 100: this much-loved classic illustrates how books can boost our wellbeing
  

  Lucy Stone, Dublin City University

  Children can learn so much from books that sustain us and contribute to a sense of wellbeing and healing in our mental health.

• How Greenland became visible on screen – and why who films it matters
  

  Anders Grønlund, Lund University

  Greenland has long been attractive to filmmakers. But now Greenlanders are shaping that process, even as visibility also becomes an economic strategy.

Business + Economy

• How BrewDog showed the limits of community capitalism
  

  Kingsley Omeihe, University of the West of Scotland; Ibiyemi Omeihe, University of the West of Scotland

  It’s fine to be punk, but don’t expect the financial rules to change.

• Why the gender wealth gap is still so stubborn – and what it means for women’s wellbeing
  

  Madeline Nightingale, RAND Europe; Elizabeth Kadar, RAND Europe

  Often, it might just come down to a lack of confidence.

Education

• Grants, loans and hardship funds: what we can learn from the long history of student finance
  

  Georgina Brewis, UCL; Sam Blaxland, UCL

  Studying for an undergraduate degree in England has always been expensive.

• What would make England’s student loan system fairer?
  

  Ourania Filippakou, Brunel University of London

  Should higher education be treated mainly as a private investment for individuals, or as a public good?

Environment

• Will the world fill the climate leadership void left by the US?
  

  Stephen Lezak, University of Oxford

  Enthusiasm for climate leadership is backsliding beyond the US government, but there are some signs of hope.

• China is ready to drive leadership of a low-carbon world – by making the international rules
  

  Alex Lo, York St John University

  If China sets the international rules for the global green economy it could be in a very strong position. That’s not far off.

• How birds are spreading plastic pollution
  

  Andy J. Green, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC); Manchester Metropolitan University

  Certain birds ingest more plastic waste, which causes them harm while transporting it to different locations.

Health

• Why endometriosis should be classified as a whole-body inflammatory disorder
  

  April Rees, Swansea University; Laura Elizabeth Cowley, Swansea University

  It’s estimated that 10% of women worldwide are affected by endometriosis.

• Could a gut microbe influence muscle strength?
  

  Rachel Woods, University of Nottingham; University of Lincoln

  Muscle strength is crucial for good health.

• Type 1 diabetes linked to higher dementia risk – new study
  

  Craig Beall, University of Exeter

  A major new study finds people with type 1 diabetes face nearly three times the dementia risk. But lifestyle changes and new treatments offer real hope.

Science + Technology

• Can British drones help secure the strait of Hormuz for international shipping?
  

  Arun Dawson, King’s College London

  The UK military is considering sending interceptor drones and mine hunters to the Middle East.

The most clicked links from yesterday

• Human vision: what we actually see – and don’t see – tells us a lot about consciousness
  

• If you think your toddler’s often ill, you’re right – what going to nursery means for catching colds and building immunity
  

• Trump and Netanyahu may have jointly started the war in Iran, but ending it together will be difficult
  

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