The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, is now up close to 50% since the start of the war. After Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib was killed in an overnight strike, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz promised “significant surprises” to come. A day earlier, Israel killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani and the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s Basij force, Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani. AdvertisementIran retaliated Wednesday by unleashing attacks against its Persian Gulf neighbors and Israel, where two people were killed near Tel Aviv. More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran since the conflict started, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.

Source: Huffington Post March 18, 2026 11:16 UTC