Breaking! Just now, Trump speaks out again! Iran, major warning

The situation is changing!

On April 3, according to Xinhua News Agency, U.S. President Trump said in a post on social media on the 3rd: “Give it a little more time, and we’ll be able to open the Strait of Hormuz with ease, seize the oil, and make a fortune.”

CCTV News learned on April 3 local time that recently three large merchant ships operated by Oman have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz. It is understood that the convoy consists of two supertankers and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier. According to relevant tracking data, the three ships have arrived offshore of Muscat, Oman, and completed their entry into port. The data show that each of the two oil tankers is loaded with about 2 million barrels of crude oil, while the LNG carrier appears to be empty. It is understood that all three ships are managed by an Omani shipping management company, but the company has not yet made any comment on the matter.

In addition, the latest update shows that Leviathan, Israel’s largest natural gas field, has resumed production, which may bring some relief to a supply-tight market. After the conflict broke out on February 28, Israel ordered the temporary shutdown of some natural gas fields for security reasons. It is understood that Leviathan is operated by Chevron, located in the eastern Mediterranean, and is Israel’s most important natural gas asset, as well as a key source of Egypt’s natural gas supply.

A statement issued by Iran’s military said that if the United States dares to take action against Iran’s infrastructure, Iran will destroy “all assets and infrastructure” of the United States and Israel in the Middle East. The statement is a response to recent remarks by U.S. President Trump repeatedly threatening to disrupt Iran’s bridges, power plants, and energy infrastructure, among other things.

Iran issues a warning

Citing Iranian media, Xinhua News Agency reported on April 3 that Iran’s military issued a statement saying that if the United States dares to take action against Iran’s infrastructure, Iran will destroy “all assets and infrastructure” of the United States and Israel in the Middle East.

The statement said that if these threats are carried out, Iran will destroy “all assets and infrastructure” of the United States and Israel in the Middle East; the scope of strikes may also be further expanded to “important assets of the United States’ followers in the Middle East.”

The statement also said that countries hosting U.S. military bases should prompt U.S. forces to withdraw from their territory, so as to avoid being drawn into the fallout.

On April 3 local time, Ali Jahanshahiy, commander of Iran’s army, warned the U.S. and Israel on social media, saying it will “send enemy soldiers back to the Stone Age.”

Jahanshahiy also said that Iran’s army assault forces have maintained a high level of readiness for years and have conducted intensive training. “Iran’s land is the graveyard of invaders; if you don’t believe it, come and try.”

The day before, Abolfazle Shekari, a spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces, said in an interview that the Strait of Hormuz will continue to be closed to the United States and Israel. He said Trump’s decision to launch a war against Iran is based on an incorrect calculation, and that Iran is waiting for the United States to carry out a ground operation, at which time Iran will give the United States a lesson so that the United States will never again have any thought of aggression toward any country— even the weakest country in this world.

SHEKARi emphasized that Iran’s armed forces are prepared and are waiting for the U.S. military to come to their doorstep, so as to create a disaster for Americans in close-quarters combat and ensure that future generations of Americans would absolutely not dare to volunteer to join the military.

Kuwait’s power and seawater desalination plant hit

Citing Xinhua News Agency’s report on April 3, the Kuwait News Agency said that Fatima Hayat, spokesperson for Kuwait’s electricity, water, and renewable energy, said the attack launched by Iran that day caused damage to a power and seawater desalination plant in Kuwait.

The report said that technical and emergency teams immediately got to work handling the incident to ensure the equipment could continue operating.

On the same day, a fire broke out at the Habshan natural gas facility in the UAE. It is understood that the facility has been temporarily shut down. At present, there are no reports of casualties. This marks the second time the natural gas facility has been shut down since the outbreak of Middle East hostilities at the end of February.

The Habshan natural gas facility is one of the UAE’s important energy infrastructure components, undertaking functions such as natural gas processing and transportation.

Also, according to CCTV News, on April 3 in the morning local time, Israel’s northern region was hit by Iranian missile strikes. The Israeli Defense Forces assessed that the ballistic missiles launched by Iran carried cluster munitions.

It is understood that there were 6 impact sites in Haifa and Kiryat Ata. In Kiryat Ata, munitions hit a residential building, injuring one person, and two cars caught fire; some roads in Haifa were damaged, and there are no reports of casualties.

Morgan Stanley: Global LNG market extremely tight

In its latest report, Morgan Stanley said the global LNG market has entered an extremely tight phase, with about 20% of supply still offline. The “in-transit inventory” that had departed from Qatar before the conflict has essentially been fully delivered, meaning that the April spot market will be even tighter.

Morgan Stanley analyst Devin McDermott said that even if the situation eases somewhat in the short term, due to the huge supply gap, the global market still faces urgent pressure to replenish inventories, which will continue to support price trends.

Morgan Stanley said it expects a supply shortfall of about 15 million tons (about 4%) in the global LNG market in 2026. The firm had originally expected “oversupply expectations” in 2027–2028, but that expectation has been offset by long-term interruptions to Middle East supply and project delays.

The shock in the Middle East is at the core of this round of the supply crunch. Due to the war, the Strait of Hormuz has remained continuously blocked. The strait accounts for about 20% of global LNG shipments, with about 70% flowing to Asia.

Since March, LNG exports from Qatar and the UAE have basically been interrupted. Qatar is one of the world’s largest LNG exporters, accounting for about 19% of global total exports, while the UAE accounts for about 1%.

According to assumptions by Morgan Stanley analysts, Qatar and the UAE’s export facilities will undergo a comprehensive shutdown lasting two months (from March to April); two damaged production trains at Ras Laffan (the world’s largest LNG plant) (12.8 mtpa) may face long-term shutdowns lasting up to 3 to 5 years (through 2028); and the start time of the North Field gas field expansion project is expected to be delayed to July 2027 (originally planned for end of 2026).

Besides Qatar, Australia and the United States are also major global LNG exporters, but analysts say that short-term incremental supply cannot make up for the Middle East shortfall.

Excluding the Middle East, in March the global LNG capacity utilization rate was as high as 99%, higher than 97% last year and higher than the five-year average (91%). April is expected to be about 95%. This means that global LNG production capacity is operating at nearly full load, with no flexible supply.

Morgan Stanley is bullish on LNG prices in 2026, significantly higher than the forward curve forecast.

Analysts expect that the JKM price (Asia LNG benchmark price) in Q3 2026 will reach $30 per mmbtu, and that the price in Q4 will rise further to $32.50 per mmbtu.

MMBtu (million British thermal units) is an internationally common energy calorific value measurement unit, representing 1 million British thermal unit (Btu) units.

Layout: Liu Junyu

Proofreading: Su Huanwen