Iran conflict will end 'a lot faster than people think,' says Netanyahu as Trump urges Israel to 'hold off' further strikes on gas field
Donald Tump has urged Israel's Prime Minister to halt further strikes as oil and gas prices continue to soar around the world
The ongoing conflict in Iran could end 'a lot faster than people think', Israel's Prime Minister has said after Donald Trump urged his ally to 'hold off' further strikes on Iran's gas fields amid soaring energy prices.
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Saudi Arabia threatened to hit Iran overnight following attacks on oil and gas sites across the Gulf, with energy prices soaring and oil hurtling towards $200-a-barrel.
In a press conference on Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "hold off" future attacks on Iranian gas fields following a direct request from President Trump.
Netanyahu was also seen to reject accusations that he'd 'dragged' Donald Trump into the ongoing war with Iran.
Declaring the Middle East has now changed "beyond recognition", the PM insisted Israel still has "more to do" in the wake of ongoing attacks.
"We have brought our friend the US to a cooperation never seen in history," he says."The great collaboration between myself and my good friend Trump is unprecedented."
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer insisted he recognises ‘pressure on families’ as Iran war drives up prices.
The PM had previously said the UK will not be drawn into the wider war in the Middle East amid mounting concerns over US demands, with UK defence secretary John Healey vowing to “step up” defensive support for Gulf states, including Qatar.
It comes as strikes targeting Qatar's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, the Ras Laffan facility, are set to cost Qatar billions of dollars.
The exporter's gas supplies are now forecast to fall by almost 17% over the next five years as a result of the damage, with LFG being a fuel source heavily relied upon by the West.
It comes amid reports that the death toll in Iran has reached 3,186 people since the start of the conflict on February 28, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana).
Overnight, Saudi Arabia issued a stark warning to its neighbour, with Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi foreign minister, warning that the Kingdom's patience with Tehran is wearing thin.
The statement came after Iran hit an oil refinery and fired eight ballistic missiles at Riyadh.
“This pressure from Iran will backfire politically and morally and certainly we reserve the right to take military actions if deemed necessary,” he said.
It comes as Starmer vowed that the government will set out new measures on Friday to revamp neighbourhoods in the south east of England as part of the Government’s Pride in Place programme.
As households brace for a further squeeze on their wallets, Housing Secretary Steve Reed will meet local people and community leaders to discuss ministers’ efforts to protect their finances.
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Read More: Trump rages at Israeli attack on Iranian gas field as he demands no more strikes on energy sites
In recent days, the Iran war has entered a new phase following the Israeli strike on the South Pars gas field.
The strikes, which were condemned by US President Donald Trump, saw the Islamic Republic declare energy site in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
After the warning, Iranian strikes hit a liquid natural gas (LNG) facility in Qatar before taking aim at Saudi Arabia.
The attacks on the Ras Laffan plant in Qatar caused damage that will take years to repair and sent prices up by 35 per cent.
The fallout from the new phase of the war could severely impact Britain, which relies on LNG for 35 per cent of its domestic energy use.
Despite the price of oil rising by eight per cent to $116-a-barrel on Thursday, President Trump sought to reassure Americans.
“It will be over soon,” he said. “We had great everything and I saw all that was happening in Iran, and I said, ‘I hate to make this excursion, but we’re going to have to do it.’ I actually thought the numbers would be worse. I thought that it would go up more than it did,” he added.
In response to the attack on South Pars on Wednesday, the President wrote on Truth Social: "Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran."
He went on to claim he had no prior knowledge of the strikes and defended Qatar, branding Iran's actions "unjustifiable".
"A relatively small section of the whole has been hit. 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."
Referring to reprisal attacks from Iran on the Qatari LNG facility, Trump added: "Unfortunately, Iran did not know this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility."