US-Iran Conflict Escalates, Threatening Energy Infrastructure

0:00It's March 24th. Global news today starts now, AI-powered, and worldwide. I'm Cory with the story. Tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran have spiked with attacks targeting energy infrastructure across the region. President Trump has threatened to destroy key Iranian gas fields and power plants if Iran doesn't back down, while Israel has struck fuel depots near. Tehran In response, Iran has hit energy sites in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf neighbors. Earlier this week, Trump said he would postpone those threats for five days amid reports of talks, though Iranian officials deny any negotiations. The International Energy Agency reports at least 40 energy assets damaged in nine countries since the conflict began, raising fears of widespread, blackouts and water shortages for civilians. Rights like the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court warn that these strikes on power plants and civilian link sites violate international law, calling

1:03them crimes of aggression similar to actions in Ukraine. Rights groups highlight the risks to everyday people already facing outages, and a former State Department lawyer says such targets are in lawful. Military objectives The White House dismisses the criticism, saying bold action is needed against Iran's attacks that have killed civilians. This argue, this erodes the global rules-based order, with allies losing trust in the U.S. and struggling to form coalitions, like securing the strait of Hormuz. As missiles fly near nuclear sites and the World Health Organization urges restraint, both sides pass to ending the war, grow narrower with each, passing day.