• US refrains from commenting on alleged Russian support.
• Officials say information includes locations of US warships.
• Russia says it was in dialogue with representatives of Iran.
  

Russia is providing Iran with targeting information that includes locations of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence.

The extent of Russia’s support to Iran was not entirely clear, but the Iranian military’s own ability to locate US forces has been degraded since the US and Israel launched strikes against Tehran last week, the Washington Post reported.

The war has since escalated, triggering retaliatory strikes by Iran, and ensnared its neighbours as it seeks to impose a high cost on the US, Israel and their allies.

The US military has identified six reserve soldiers killed in Kuwait when a drone slammed into a US military facility in Port Shuaiba. Trump and other senior officials have warned the conflict will likely result in more US military deaths.

A White House spokesperson did not directly comment on the alleged Russian support to Iran.

“The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed. Their ballistic missile retaliation is decreasing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished, and proxies are hardly putting up a fight,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, responding to questions from Reuters.

Russia was in dialogue with representatives of Iran’s leadership, the Kremlin said on Friday. It declined to provide details when asked by reporters whether Moscow was helping Tehran.

The conflict has been an unexpected shot in the arm for Russia, with a significant bump in demand for its oil and gas, boosting exports battered in recent years by sanctions linked to its war in Ukraine. The United States has given Ukraine intelligence information during its war with Russia.

The Russian Embassy in Washington and Russia’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A video released by White House officials has gone viral showing US President Donald Trump surrounded by a group of pastors praying over him in the Oval Office, as US and Israeli military campaign against Iran enter its seventh day.

Critics warn that the offensive risks worsening humanitarian conditions and destabilising an already tense region.

The video, shared by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, shows a prayer circle of prominent religious leaders from across the US. Trump sits behind his desk with eyes closed as Pastor Tom Mullins leads the ceremony.

Pastor Mullins said: “We are honoured to come before Your presence today, lifting up the arms of our president. We pray for Your continued blessing and favour to rest upon him. We pray for wisdom from heaven to flood his heart and mind and for Your guidance during these challenging times.”

He also prayed for the protection of US troops and for the president to lead the nation with strength and grace.

The strikes have escalated tensions across the Middle East, with analysts cautioning that continuous retaliation could prolong the cycle of conflict.

The US Department of Defence said Operation Epic Fury targets Iran’s missiles, production facilities, and naval assets.

After the death of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US‑Israeli airstrike on Tehran, Iran has launched a series of retaliatory missile and drone attacks on Israel, Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, claiming to target American facilities in response.

The US confirmed that six soldiers were killed when a drone struck a facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Critics say the human and infrastructural toll underlines the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.

• Qatar produces LNG about 20% of global supply.
• If war continue, it will impact world’s GPD: minister.
• Minister forecasts crude prices may hit $150 per barrel.
  

Qatar expects all Gulf energy producers to shut down exports within weeks if the Iran conflict continues and drives oil to $150 a barrel, the country’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi told the Financial Times in an interview published on Friday.

Qatar halted its production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on Monday, as Iran continued to strike Gulf countries in retaliation for Israeli and US attacks.

The country’s LNG production is equivalent to about 20% of global supply and plays a major role in balancing both Asian and European markets’ demand for the fuel.

“Everybody that has not called for force majeure we expect will do so in the next few days that this continues. All exporters in the Gulf region will have to call force majeure,” Kaabi told the FT.

“If this war continues for a few weeks, GDP growth around the world will be impacted,” he said.

“Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher. There will be shortages of some products and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply,” Kaabi said.

Kaabi said even if the war ended immediately it would take Qatar “weeks to months” to return to a normal cycle of deliveries.

Analysts and economists have highlighted the potential impact of the war on economies globally.

Kaabi, who is also the CEO of Qatar Energy, one of the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas producers, told FT that the company’s North Field expansion project would delay first production.

“It will delay all our expansion plans for sure,” Kaabi said. “If we come back in a week, perhaps the effect is minimal, if it’s a month or two, it is different.”

The project was scheduled to begin production in mid-2026.

He forecast that crude prices could hit $150 a barrel O/R in two to three weeks if ships and tankers were unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which is the world’s most vital oil export route, connecting the biggest Gulf oil producers with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Kaabi also expects gas prices to rise to $40 per million British thermal units.