Indonesia calls for UN meeting after peacekeeper deaths

Three Indonesians, acting as UN peacekeepers, have been killed in Lebanon.

The national average price of gasoline in the US has hit $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022, according to GasBuddy.

DW has more.

Here are the main developments in the US-Israeli war on Iran on Tuesday, March 31:
Iran says US-Israeli strikes destroyed desalination plant and key drug making facility
US and Israeli strikes destroyed a water desalination plant as well as a major pharmaceutical facility early Tuesday according to regime officials quoted by Iranian media outlets.

"One of the desalination plants on Qeshm Island was targeted and is now completely out of service, as it is not possible to repair it in the short term," ISNA news agency quoted a Health Ministry official as saying.

In early March, the Iranian government said that US and Israeli forces had targeted a desalination plant on the island.

These plants are key to providing drinkable water across the country.

Early on Tuesday, the Iranian government also confirmed airstrikes on pharmaceutical facilities producing life-saving drugs.

In a social media post, the government said, "During the US and Zionist regime attacks on civilian centers on the morning of Tuesday, one of the largest companies producing anti-cancer, anesthetic and specialized medicines was damaged and the drug production line was damaged."
The strikes come after US President Donald Trump loudly proclaimed that the US would expand its attacks if Iran did not agree to a ceasefire "soon," with Trump threatening Iran's key oil installations at Kharg Island as well as floating the possibility of targeting water desalination plants — potentially a war crime.

Prior to the Tuesday attacks, Erika Guevara-Rosa of the rights group Amnesty International called on Trump to retract his threat.

"President Donald Trump must retract deeply irresponsible threats of acts that would unleash catastrophic harm on millions of civilians," she said, adding: "The decision to not proceed with such attacks must be based on the USA's obligations under international humanitarian law to avoid civilian harm, not the outcome of political negotiations."
Trump issues new threat to Iran's energy sites
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Dalai Lama calls for 'love, compassion, tolerance and self-disciple' over violence
The Dalai Lama on Tuesday took to social media to "endorse the powerful appeal for peace made by the Holy Father, Pope Leo."
The Buddhist spiritual leader said Pope Leo XIV 's Palm Sunday message calling for the complete renunciation of violence had "resonated profoundly" with him.

Noting that all of the world's great spiritual traditions fundamentally preach "love, compassion, tolerance and self-discipline," the Dalai Lama added that, "violence only begets more violence and is never a lasting foundation for peace."
Urging mutual respect and a realization that "we are all brothers and sisters," the spiritual leader said he prays for the end of the conflicts in Ukraine and across the Middle East while noting that lasting conflict resolution, "must be rooted in dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect."
Italy denies US access to Sicily air base
Italy's Corriere della Serra newspaper reported on Tuesday that the nation's Chief of Defense Staff Luciano Portolano, acting on orders from Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, had recently informed US Command that US bombers would not be allowed to land at Sigonella Air Base near Catania.

The US Air Force General Staff had previously informed Portolano that US bombers would land in Sicily before carrying out missions in Iran.

Italian authorities say no US request was made beforehand and that US planes had already taken off for the base before Italian partners were even informed of the plan.

Having confirmed that the US flights were neither routine or logistical in nature, Italian authorities determined that they had no right to land at the base under the terms outlined in a bilateral treaty between Rome and Washington.

Given the specific terms of the treaty and the fact that no authorization had been sought, Italian authorities said the choice was clear.

Addressing parliament, Crosetto declared, "We are committed to bringing any operation that falls outside the treaties and therefore requires authorization before parliament."
Beijing says China, Pakistan will 'strengthen' cooperation on Iran
Beijing's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said that today's meetings between China's top diplomat and his Pakistani counterpart will focus on "strengthening" cooperation on the issue of Iran.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, "The two foreign ministers will strengthen strategic communication and coordination on the Iran situation and make new efforts toward advocating for peace."
New Polish law aimed at lowering petrol prices takes effect
A new law to reduce petrol prices in Poland has come into force on Tuesday as Warsaw tries to mitigate the effects of the US-Israel war with Iran on global fuel prices.

Poland set the maximum price of regular ⁠petrol ⁠at 6.16 zlotys ($1.65, €1.44) ​per liter for Tuesday, the ​Energy Ministry ​said ‌on Monday, as it started to cap ‌fuel ​prices.

The maximum retail price for a litre of super is now 6.76 zloty while diesel is at 7.60 zloty.

The law, which was signed on Friday, reduces VAT on fuels from  23% to 8%.

A maximum retail price for fuel is to apply until the end of June and will be set daily by the energy minister based on the average wholesale prices and the operating cost of the biggest suppliers.

Under the legislation, violators will face fines up to €230,000.

Two Chinese vessels pass through Strait of Hormuz
Two container ships belonging to Chinese shipping giant Cosco have successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz as they exited the Gulf, global ship tracker Marine Traffic showed on Tuesday.

The CSCL Indian Ocean transited through the strait at around 9:14 GMT on Monday, followed by CSCL Arctic Ocean 27 minutes later, data showed.

Both ships sail under the flag of Hong Kong and are travelling to the major feeder port of Klang in Malayasia, according to Marine Traffic.

According to reports, it was the ships' second attempt at crossing the waterway which has been choked following the US-Israel war with Iran.

Shipping in limbo as Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens
Indonesia calls for urgent UN Security Council meeting after peacekeepers killed
Three United Nations peacekeepers from Indonesia have been killed in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon, the the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said.

UNIFIL said two of its peacekeepers were killed in an explosion near Bani Hayyan on Monday, while two others were wounded.

The mission said that another Indonesian soldier died in a separate incident after a projectile hit near one of the group's positions close to Adchit al-Qusayr late on Sunday.

One peacekeeper was critically wounded.

Indonesia has called on warring parties in the Middle East "to respect international humanitarian law" the deaths.

"The safety of peacekeeping troops must be the top priority.

All parties to the conflict are urged to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the security of peacekeeping personnel," Indonesian Defense Ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirait said in a statement.

Indonesia has asked for an urgent UN Security Council meeting.

The country's Foreign Minister Sugiono deemed the attacks "heinous" and said that he had discussed the deaths with UN chief Antonio Guterres, and asked for an emergency UN Security meeting.

"The safety and security of UN peacekeepers is non-negotiable and must be upheld at all times," he wrote on X.

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said he had called Sugiono to convey his condolences over the death of the Indonesian soldier on Sunday.

He condemned the attack and commended the Indonesian contingent's efforts, alongside UN peacekeeping forces, to preserve security and stability in southern Lebanon.

Trump willing to end war without opening Strait of Hormuz, says report
President Donald Trump told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed and leave a complex operation to reopen it for a later date, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday, citing administration officials.

The WSJ said in its report that Trump and his aides had come to the conclusion that a mission to reopen the critical waterway — now a chokepoint — would extend the conflict beyond his timeline of four to six weeks.

Instead, the US president has decided to focus on hitting Iran's missiles and navy before putting pressure on Tehran diplomatically to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the report said.

The WSJ report comes as world governments find themselves in a melee, implementing measures to allay the burden of soaring fuel prices while also looking at conserving energy.

Nearly one-fifth of global crude and gas passes through the strait.

Oil prices slipped and most stocks went up on Tuesday following the Journal's report.

Both main global oil contracts — West Texas Intermediate and Brent — fell but were still well above $100 a barrel.

On Monday, Trump also threatened to destroy Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export hub, if a peace deal is not reached.

He said US troops would destroy "all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!)."
Experts have said that destroying civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime.

Mixed messages from Donald Trump over his plans for Iran
Israel says 4 of its troops killed in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that four of its soldiers were killed and two others were injured during combat in southern Lebanon , where Israel's forces are fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militia group.

A military statement named three soldiers from the same battalion, all in their 20s, who "fell during combat."
In a separate statement, the Israeli military said that another soldier had died in the same incident whose name had not yet been cleared for publication.

The military did not immediately provide further details of the incident.

Israel's forces are continuing their invasion in southern Lebanon with ground troops, continuing operations against Hezbollah's infrastructure.

Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa said on Friday that Israeli troops have penetrated 8 kilometers (8 miles) inland from the border.

In November 2024, Israel and Hezbollah agreed on a ceasefire after clashing for nearly a year.

But the militant group resumed attacks on Israel about a month ago following the start of the Iran war.

Israel has since responded with heavy airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon.

WATCH: Could the war in Iran benefit Ukraine?

Dubai authorities put out fire on Kuwaiti oil tanker
The Dubai Media Office said in an update that the blaze on a Kuwaiti tanker anchored off Dubai (see entry below) had been successfully extinguished.

Kuwaiti oil tanker anchored in Dubai attacked
A Kuwaiti oil tanker anchored in the Dubai port was hit by what appears to have been Iranian strikes, Kuwait's state news agency KUNA reported.

The oil tanker was fully loaded at the time of the incident, KUNA reported citing Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.

The company warned of a possible oil spill in surrounding waters.

The Dubai Media Office later said firefighting teams were responding to the incident and that the safety of all 24 crew members was secured.

There were no casualties reported.

Gas prices in US hit $4 a gallon, highest since 2022
The US national average for a gallon of gasoline jumped to $4 on Monday, according to an app called GasBuddy that tracks fuel prices.

Oil prices also rose after the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said a fully loaded tanker was attacked in what it called Iranian strikes.

The West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the US benchmark, jumped 3.4% to $106.40 a barrel by 19:54 ET (2354 GMT) late Monday.

The $4 per gallon milestone was ‌last reached in ⁠August ⁠2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Prices for many goods are climbing, including oil used to make gasoline, following Iran's near-blockade of the Strait of Hormuz .

Why Iran fuel crisis hits different in Europe than the US
Here's a recap of some of the major events over the course of March 30:
President Donald Trump sent mixed messages about the Iran war, saying the United States was winning the war, even as thousands of US service members were en route to the region.

Trump also claimed progress in talks with Iran, even as Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said no such direct talks had taken place.

Trump threatened attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure as well if Tehran didn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian-backed Houthi militant group, which controls much of Yemen, joined the war over the weekend with a missile attack targeting southern Israel.

There is fear that the group might once again strike vessels in the Red Sea , which could exacerbate a crisis in global energy supply.