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Malawi: William Kaipa Takes Helm At ESCOM Amid Power Sector Challenges
The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has announced the appointment of Mr. William Kaipa as the new Chief Executive of the Corporation, effective April 1, 2026.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued by Alfred M. Nhlema, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of ESCOM.
It follows a deliberate and carefully considered Board process, undertaken in accordance with its mandate to safeguard the stability, performance, and strategic direction of the Corporation, particularly during periods of heightened strategic and operational urgency.
The Board acknowledges that, given the current critical state of the power sector—characterized by urgent system reliability challenges, ongoing infrastructure projects, and the need for accelerated reforms—an expedited and targeted executive search was both necessary and in the best interest of the nation.
Accordingly, the Board exercised its governance discretion, within applicable legal and policy frameworks, to identify and secure a candidate of exceptional calibre with a proven ability to deliver immediate impact at scale.
Engineer Kaipa is a distinguished professional engineer with over 37 years of experience spanning infrastructure, energy, and resources.
His career includes senior leadership roles at some of the continent’s most significant energy and infrastructure institutions, including Eskom, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), and Arup.
He holds a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from the University of Pretoria, a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Malawi, and is registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).
The Board is confident that Engineer Kaipa brings the depth of experience, leadership maturity, and technical authority required to stabilize operations, accelerate ongoing projects, and position ESCOM for long-term sustainability. His appointment reflects a strategic alignment of global expertise with national priorities, particularly as Malawi advances toward its MW2063 development agenda.
Given the complexity and immediacy of ESCOM’s operational challenges, the Board considered it imperative to secure a leader capable of delivering results from day one and into the future.
The Board reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the principles of transparency, accountability, and good corporate governance. This appointment represents a measured and exceptional decision, taken within the confines of the Board’s fiduciary responsibilities, balancing procedural norms with the urgent need to ensure continuity of leadership and service delivery.
Nigeria: Power Minister Apologises To Nigerians Over Persistent Outages
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has publicly apologised to Nigerians over poor electricity supply, which has resulted in persistent outages across the country.
He acknowledged that the blackouts have deepened hardship in homes, businesses, schools, and industries, especially amid the scorching dry-season heat.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister acknowledged the poor electricity situation and said: “I want to apologise to Nigerians—officially now, coming from me as the Minister of Power—for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship, especially during this dry season, where there is so much heat everywhere.
“Businesses are being affected, schools have been affected, and industries have been affected. It is not our wish to find ourselves in this situation, but it is due to some factors that are actually beyond our control,” he said, as reported by local media.
He, however, assured Nigerians that relief is imminent, providing a tentative timeline for improvement in supply.
“I can tell you, with the committee that we have set up, and commitments from gas suppliers, as well as the timeline for the repair of gas pipelines, that two weeks from now, we should start seeing improvements in supply. Two weeks,” Adelabu said.
According to him, the government already has visibility on when key repairs—particularly those involving facilities operated by Seplat Energy—will be completed. This is expected to restore gas flow to power plants.
He explained that a special committee has also been constituted to monitor compliance with domestic gas supply obligations by producers, a long-standing issue blamed for constraining electricity generation.
“We already have a committee working on this to track compliance with domestic supply obligations by gas companies to our power plants,” he said, adding that improved payment flows to gas suppliers would further incentivise supply.
Nigeria’s power sector, which largely depends on gas-fired plants, has been affected by disruptions in gas supply, worsened by pipeline maintenance challenges and liquidity constraints.
Adelabu acknowledged these structural issues, noting that while they are not entirely within the government’s control, efforts are ongoing to stabilise the system.
“We are working on it 24/7 to make sure that we return to the trajectory of 2025, when Nigerians commended us for a job well done,” he said.
The minister also reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to ramping up electricity generation to 6,000 megawatts before the end of 2026, describing the current disruption as a temporary setback in a broader improvement plan.
“Power generation will improve, transmission will improve, distribution will improve, and that 6,000 megawatts will be achieved before the end of this year. Nigerians will be better for it,” he assured.
He added that the government’s ambition is not just to recover lost ground but to surpass previous performance levels.
“If we could provide such service in 2025, this is 2026—we are willing to do more, to do even better,” Adelabu said.
Nigeria’s electricity sector has long struggled with a mix of structural and operational challenges, including inadequate gas supply, ageing infrastructure, transmission bottlenecks, and persistent liquidity issues across the value chain.
UAE: Iran’s Strait Of Hormuz Blockade Is Global Economic Terrorism
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Industry and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, has accused Iran of weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz by blocking the passage of international shipments.
According to Al Jaber, Iran’s decision to restrict shipping through the strategic waterway constitutes economic terrorism against every nation. The UAE has seen its LNG and much of its oil supply constricted at this vital chokepoint, following the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
“Twenty million barrels a day. Nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas. Over a third of the world’s fertilizer. Almost a quarter of the world’s petrochemicals, and significant amounts of industrial metals,” Al Jaber said at the CERAWeek conference in Houston, referring to the Strait of Hormuz.
“In short, much of the oxygen of the global economy runs through a single throat. Yet, Iran believes that choking it is an acceptable strategy.”
Since the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, daily traffic of over 100 vessels, including tankers, through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a trickle—only a handful of cargoes per week, all apparently approved by Iran for transit.
The disruption to the global energy supply has been immediate. Asian refiners are scrambling for non-Middle Eastern supply, paying record premiums for alternative crude grades, and cutting refinery run rates. Oil prices jumped by 50% in March, Asian spot LNG prices hit multi-year highs, and Europe’s benchmark natural gas price doubled within a month.
“Weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz is not an act of aggression against one nation. It is economic terrorism against every nation. No country should be allowed to hold Hormuz hostage—not now, not ever,” Al Jaber said.
“And while we appreciate all efforts to stabilize markets and reduce prices, this is not a supply issue. It is a security issue, and it has only one durable answer: keeping the Strait open,” he added. “We cannot trade our way out of this crisis.”
Zambia: Gov’t Assures Fuel Security In Luapula
The Zambian government has announced measures to safeguard fuel supply in Luapula Province amid looming global disruptions.
Speaking during a tour of the Mansa-Tazama Fuel Depot on Monday, Luapula Province Minister Eng. Nason Musonda described the facility as a critical strategic reserve with the capacity to store up to 6.5 million litres of fuel, including diesel, petrol, and kerosene.
Eng. Musonda said the depot has been positioned to ensure a stable and orderly fuel supply in the province, particularly as global supply chains face uncertainty due to geopolitical tensions affecting key fuel routes.
He noted that the government is proactively exploring alternative supply mechanisms to maintain the flow of fuel and sustain economic activity.
He also emphasized that petroleum products remain central to driving the country’s economy.
“We are satisfied with the level of preparedness at the facility, and we urge Tazama Pipelines Limited to expedite remaining works, particularly the calibration of meters, to allow for commissioning by the end of next month.
“We also emphasise that once operational, the depot will have the capacity to sustain Luapula Province for over a month without fresh supply, while also reducing transportation costs as oil marketing companies will source fuel directly from Mansa instead of Ndola,” he said.
Eng. Musonda added that the government, through the Ministry of Energy, intends to stockpile fuel at the facility to cushion the province against supply shocks and ensure continued economic productivity.
Meanwhile, Mansa Fuel Depot Superintendent Mazimba Ng’onga said the facility comprises two diesel tanks with a combined capacity of 4 million litres, two petrol tanks holding 2 million litres, and an additional 500,000 litres for kerosene.
Ng’onga disclosed that while the depot is structurally complete, it is yet to be commissioned, with the first fuel stocks expected before the end of the second quarter of 2026.
He noted that once operational, the depot will significantly enhance fuel distribution efficiency in the region.
African Petroleum Ministers Snub Africa Energies Summit, Citing Local Content As Priority For Africa
African Petroleum Ministers have declined to participate in the upcoming Africa Energies Summit (AES) taking place on May 12–14, 2026 in London, citing serious concerns around local content, representation and the broader direction of the platform’s agenda.
The decision sends a strong signal from the continent’s oil-producing nations that local content remains a core priority for Africa’s energy future and that industry platforms operating under the banner of African energy must reflect the continent’s values and development objectives.
“By boycotting AES in London, the African oil industry is showcasing that local content is a priority. The message is clear: if Gayle and Daniel Davidson change their policy to be more inclusive, many Africans will work with them. The exclusionary policies are not reflective of our values and that of the oil industry. Frontier has an incredible opportunity to do the right thing,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.
Across the oil and gas sectors, both emerging and established markets are integrating local content policies within their broader project fundamentals as a way to catalyze job creation, local participation and broader skills development. Regulation has served as a launchpad for local content development. Policies such as the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGIC) and Angola’s Local Content Law have provided a strong foundation for local content implementation – and many projects are taking the lead.
The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project in Senegal and Mauritania not only designates a portion of gas for each domestic market but features a multi-pronged local content strategy focusing on supply chain, workforce development and social investment. In the development stage, the project offered an online portal where local suppliers registered their interest and engagement opportunities with the procurement team, while over 47 trainees participated in a multi-year program in preparation for offshore work. The project partners engaged in extensive community outreach, including health, education, economic development and environmental awareness. GTA exported its first cargo in 2025 and is working toward full-scale operations in 2026.
Similarly, the EG LNG project in Equatorial Guinea is a major local content driver. Operating since 2007, the project has placed emphasis on local workforce development and integration through several initiatives that promote participation and broader economic support. In addition to prioritizing local vendors and contractors, the Punta Europa plant and associated infrastructure employs over 1,400 people, with the larger Gas Mega Hub project – of which EG LNG is a central part – set to increase this figure to 3,000 people. Nigeria’s LNG plant also actively promotes local content through policies on Nigerian manpower development, technology acquisition and utilizing local contractors. The implementation of the NOGIC saved the LNG project $2 billion across its EPC stage for the seventh train.
Emerging oil and gas producers such as Mozambique, with three large-scale LNG projects underway, Namibia, which eyes first oil production by 2029, and The Gambia have all integrated local content regulations within their energy frameworks. This approach demonstrates a commitment to Africa, making companies like Frontier that much more disappointing. The African oil industry – as well as companies operating in seismic, services and policy – must take the local content lead.
“A lot of Africans feel that all the progress and gains made by our oil industry on local content are constantly being stomped on by groups like Frontier. We believe in Drill Baby Drill and local content, and we’re being told that there’s something wrong with it, that we should be ashamed of it in some way and that it needs to be replaced with discrimination. Many people are just sick of it. We’ve had enough, and we don’t want our whole oil industry stripped down to where we have no semblance of that sort of nostalgic African oil and gas culture that we cherish,” Ayuk adds.
The recent boycott by these ministers reflects a broader belief by the continent that local content must be an integral part of oil and gas operations. This includes discussions on the current and future state of the continent’s hydrocarbon industry.
“Gayle and Daniel Davidson are essentially marketing to a clientele that doesn’t exist, Let’s be clear: the oil industry does not and will not defend discrimination against black professionals. It’s not who we are. They both need to come clear and denounce this. This virtue signaling to a certain crowd does not help our goals for an inclusive oil industry,” concludes Ayuk.
Nigeria: Heirs Energies Invests $10 Million In 2,000 Startups
Nigeria-based indigenous integrated energy company, Heirs Energies, is supporting the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s (TEF) 2026 cohort of 3,200 African entrepreneurs, helping to drive enterprise growth and job creation across the continent.
The entrepreneurs, drawn from all 54 African countries, were selected from more than 265,000 applicants and unveiled in Abuja on Sunday by TEF Founder and Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR.
The scale of applications highlights both the depth of entrepreneurial activity across Africa and the growing demand for early-stage capital and business support.
“The future of Africa will be built by Africans who create businesses, generate jobs, and solve the challenges of our continent,” Elumelu said.
“Empowering entrepreneurs remains the most sustainable path to economic transformation.”
Heirs Energies said its support forms part of a broader strategy to link energy development with economic expansion, particularly in regions where access to capital, infrastructure, and opportunity remains uneven.
Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer Osayande Igiehon said the company is positioning its operations to deliver both energy supply and long-term economic value.
“Sustainable energy development must be matched by sustained investment in people and enterprise,” Igiehon said.
“Our partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation reflects a deliberate effort to expand opportunity while strengthening the communities in which we operate.”
Operating in OML 17 in the Niger Delta, Heirs Energies continues to deliver targeted interventions across enterprise development, education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
To date, the company has empowered over 500 youths through skills acquisition and enterprise development programmes, supported more than 1,621 students through educational grants, reached over 18,000 people through medical outreach programmes, and delivered more than 135 communities infrastructure projects, with additional projects at advanced stages of completion.
Beyond its host communities, Heirs Energies supplies gas into Nigeria’s domestic network, enabling over 350MW of electricity generation—powering homes, schools, and industries, and supporting broader economic activity.
Through its partnership with TEF, Heirs Energies has committed over $10 million to support 2,000 African entrepreneurs across two programme cycles.
In 2025, the company supported 1,000 entrepreneurs, with 40% from the Niger Delta, including over 150 from Rivers State.
In 2026, Heirs Energies is supporting another 1,000 entrepreneurs, with 50% from the Niger Delta, deepening its focus on its host region.
Women account for 48% of beneficiaries, reflecting a strong commitment to inclusive growth.
Within Nigeria, impact is concentrated in the Niger Delta—particularly in Rivers State and surrounding communities—alongside broader participation across the country and other African markets.
Across Africa, youth unemployment and limited access to financing continue to constrain business growth despite rising entrepreneurial activity.
Programmes such as TEF play a critical role in bridging this gap, combining capital with mentorship and training.
Heirs Energies said its continued collaboration with TEF reflects a shared focus on enterprise development, job creation, and broader economic participation across the continent.
Heirs Energies is an indigenous integrated energy company operating in Nigeria, focused on oil and gas production and domestic gas supply for power generation.
The company combines energy delivery with targeted investment in community development and economic inclusion.
Ghana: Clean Energy Chamber Welcomes Newly Introduced Electric Vehicle Charging Tariff
The Ghana Chamber of Clean Energy has welcomed the introduction of a dedicated electricity tariff for public electric vehicle (EV) charging for the first time in Ghana.
The approved tariff of GH¢2.016 per kWh, effective April 1, according to the Chamber, represents an important regulatory step toward establishing a clearer framework for the development of Ghana’s electric mobility ecosystem.
This development addresses an issue the GCCE has consistently raised in its advocacy and policy work.
In a statement, the Chamber referenced its recent Clean Ghana Outlook 2026, which highlighted the need for a clearly defined tariff category for EV charging as a foundational element for the growth of Ghana’s charging infrastructure market.
Prior to this framework, operators were classified under conventional commercial or industrial electricity tariffs that do not reflect the operational realities of EV charging businesses.
The Chamber said the introduction of a dedicated tariff therefore provides a level of regulatory clarity that is important for both infrastructure developers and investors.
EV charging infrastructure requires significant upfront capital investment and long planning horizons.
A transparent and predictable electricity pricing structure improves the ability of operators and financiers to assess project viability, structure investment decisions, and expand charging networks with greater confidence.
A clearly defined tariff framework also supports the gradual development of a national charging network by providing operators with greater certainty around operating costs, while giving consumers clearer expectations about charging prices.
These conditions are important for the early stages of market formation, when infrastructure deployment must precede widespread EV adoption.
Commenting on the decision, Seth Owusu-Mante, Executive Director of GCCE, noted that the announcement is an important step toward building the institutional foundations for Ghana’s electric mobility market:“Establishing a dedicated EV charging tariff is a practical and necessary step in creating a viable market for charging infrastructure, as it provides the type of regulatory clarity investors look for when considering long-term infrastructure projects.”
The Chamber said it will continue to actively engage with the PURC, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, financial institutions, and industry stakeholders to support the development of a robust EV charging market in Ghana.
Through this engagement, the Chamber will advocate for a tariff framework that supports ease of doing business for charging infrastructure providers, ensures commercially viable returns for operators, and encourages broader investment in and adoption of electric mobility solutions.
Trump Postpones Iran Power Plant Strikes As Tehran Denies Any Talks
U.S. President Donald Trump says he has directed the Department of Defense to postpone military strikes against Iranian power plants for five days, contingent on the outcome of ongoing meetings and discussions with Iran.
In a post on his Truth Social account, Mr. Trump said the United States and Iran have held “very good and productive conversations” over the past two days regarding a “complete and total resolution” of their hostilities in the Middle East.
He added that, based on the “tenor and tone” of these in-depth, detailed, and constructive discussions—which are expected to continue throughout the week—he has instructed the Department of Defense to delay any and all military strikes targeting Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, subject to the success of the ongoing talks.
However, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has denied Mr. Trump’s claims, stating that Tehran has not engaged in discussions with the United States as suggested.
Slovenia Limits Fuel Purchases As Some Pumps Run Dry
Slovenia has temporarily limited fuel purchases to tackle shortages at the pump caused in part by cross-border fueling and stockpiling due to the Iran war, raising concerns about security of supplies just as the country heads to the polls.
Fueling at individual service stations has been restricted to 50 litres per day for private vehicles and 200 litres for companies and other priority users, such as farmers, Prime Minister Robert Golob announced on Saturday evening.
The restrictions will remain in force until further notice.
“Let me reassure you that there is enough fuel in Slovenia. The warehouses are full, and there will be no fuel shortages,” said Golob.
At an emergency session on Sunday, the government accused Petrol—the largest Slovenian oil distribution company, in which the state has a 32.3% stake—of failing to eliminate disruptions in fuel distribution. It also ordered an inquiry into possible violations in fuel trading and the management of critical infrastructure.
The government further called on the Slovenian sovereign wealth fund to request a meeting of Petrol’s shareholders and to ask for a special audit of the company’s logistics operations after March 16.
In addition, the government ordered the interior ministry to submit a report to law enforcement agencies due to “possible grounds for suspicion” of criminal offences by some Petrol staff.
Petrol rejected the government’s accusations, stating in a statement published by the state news agency STA that the problems at some sales points were solely the result of a sudden surge in demand in recent days. The company rebutted any suggestions of irregularities or responsibility for shortages at stations.
“The company has a crisis coordination group that continuously monitors the situation and adjusts measures to stabilize supply,” Petrol said.
Golob added that the army would be called in to help retailers move supplies.
The government also recommended that retailers prepare special measures for foreign drivers, without providing further details.
Many filling stations across Slovenia were closed on Sunday. Those belonging to the Hungarian oil and gas group MOL Group have remained open but had already limited purchases to 30 litres for individuals and 200 litres for companies.
Malawi: ESCOM Announces One-Week Nationwide Power Rationing
The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has announced a one-week load-shedding schedule, effective Sunday, March 22 through Saturday, March 28, 2026.
In a statement issued on Sunday, ESCOM said the load shedding is intended to manage electricity demand amid supply shortfalls caused by generation constraints.
According to the timetable, power will be rationed for between three and eight hours across the country.
Malawi has a total installed power generation capacity of approximately 390–395 MW, dominated by hydropower.
However, the statement did not clarify how much power is currently being generated.
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Iran Warns It Will Completely Shut Down Hormuz If US Hits Power Plants
Iran’s military on Sunday threatened to completely shut down the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global shipping route—if US President Donald Trump follows through on threats to target the country’s power plants.
Trump has given Iran 48 hours to reopen the strait, which has been effectively closed since the start of the war sparked on February 28 by US-Israeli bombardment of Iran.
The conflict has since spread across the Middle East, with Iran responding through drone and missile attacks on Israel and US interests in the region.
“If the United States’ threats regarding Iran’s power plants are carried out, the Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed and will not be reopened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt,” the military’s operational command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, said in a statement carried by state TV.
The military also said it would strike Israel’s “power plants, energy, and information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure,” as well as power facilities in regional countries hosting US bases and companies with US shareholders.
It added that these measures would be taken “to defend our country and the interests of our nation.”
Traffic through the vital strait—through which about 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes—has been reduced to a near standstill since the start of the war.
Only a small number of vessels—around five percent of pre-war volume, according to analytics firm Kpler—have been able to transit the route.
Iranian forces have attacked multiple vessels, saying they failed to heed “warnings” against transiting the waterway.
In recent days, Iran has allowed some vessels from countries it considers friendly to pass, while warning that it would block ships from countries it accuses of joining the “aggression” against it.
Iran’s parliament is also considering imposing tolls on shipping through the strait, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf saying maritime traffic would “not return to its pre-war status.”
Trump Warns Iran: Reopen Hormuz Or Face Strikes On Power Plants
US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran’s power plants if the country refuses to swiftly reopen the Strait of Hormuz to allow the passage of vessels.
Trump said in a social media post late Saturday that he would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants—beginning with the country’s largest facility—if it did not reopen the strait within 48 hours.
A day after issuing the threat, the US president said he was considering “winding down” the military operation and suggested that responsibility for policing the Strait of Hormuz would fall to countries that rely on shipping through the corridor.
The threats have nearly brought shipments of commodities through the Strait of Hormuz to a halt. The strait accounts for the transit of about 20% of the world’s oil and gas supply.
The resulting energy supply shock has sent crude prices soaring, with the international benchmark Brent futures closing at $112.19 on Friday.
Despite the tensions, some countries are finding ways to move cargo through the corridor. The Iranian Navy has reportedly guided an Indian LNG tanker through the Strait of Hormuz following diplomatic engagement by New Delhi.
Iranian officials have signaled reluctance to engage in discussions about reopening the strait amid the ongoing conflict.
Trump’s threat to begin by striking Iran’s largest power facilities may also be a reference to the Bushehr nuclear plant.
His latest declaration comes despite an earlier appeal for a halt in Israel’s strikes on regional energy assets, which risk provoking retaliatory attacks by Iran on oil and gas infrastructure and further restricting global supply.
Energy assets across the region have increasingly become targets as the conflict escalates. Israel struck the South Pars gas field last Wednesday, and Iran retaliated with attacks on the world’s largest LNG facility in Qatar.
More than 100 people were injured in Israel on Saturday following multiple Iranian strikes in the country’s south, as Tehran responded to an earlier attack on its own nuclear facility.
As the conflict enters its fourth week and drives up energy prices, the US Treasury has taken the unusual step of allowing the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemical products already loaded onto tankers, despite existing sanctions.
The surge in prices poses political risks for Trump at home, just eight months before midterm elections expected to hinge largely on voters’ views of the economy and consumer costs.
Although the US is producing record levels of oil and gas domestically and is less dependent on Middle Eastern resources than countries like China and Japan, the supply shock linked to the Strait of Hormuz is still being felt through rising global prices.
Israel Pledges To Spare Iranian Energy Infrastructure
Israel said it will no longer target energy infrastructure after an attack on an Iranian gas field sparked retaliatory strikes against energy assets across the Middle East, causing oil and gas prices to surge and prompting a rebuke from President Donald Trump.
“Israel acted alone,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference on Thursday, after Israeli officials previously said they had informed the US about the attack.
Netanyahu also said Israeli forces would help the US attempt to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and that the war would be over faster than people think, in comments that helped calm markets on a day that already-elevated energy prices spiked once again.
“I told him, ‘don’t do that.’ And he won’t do that,” Trump said Thursday at the White House, referring to Netanyahu. “We get along great. It’s coordinated. But on occasion, he’ll do something, and if I don’t like it, then – so we’re not doing that.”
The sharp escalation, with the bombing of more energy facilities from both sides, threatened to draw in both Gulf and European powers and exposed tensions between the US and Israel as the war drags on.
For Washington, the costs of the Iran campaign it launched alongside Israel were becoming clearer as the war neared the end of its third week.
On Thursday, Iran said its air defense “seriously damaged” a US F-35 stealth fighter, with US Central Command saying one of the warplanes made an emergency landing and the pilot was in stable condition.
The Pentagon also asked Congress for an additional $200 billion to pay for the war, a person familiar with the matter said. The enormous funding request suggested the US was girding for a protracted conflict, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth downplayed concerns and said the US was “on plan” with its war goals.
Yet it’s not clear whether the Defense Department can persuade the sharply divided US Congress to provide the money.
The sum is far larger than the estimated $65 billion the US has spent in security assistance to Ukraine since 2022 and suggests that the administration sees a long campaign ahead against Iran. Democrats criticized the plan and Republicans were noncommittal.
“If there is any hope to get my vote, they have to come forward with a plan,” Senator Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat told Bloomberg Television on Thursday evening.
“They haven’t come through with what an end goal looks like, or what victory looks like.”
Oil dropped from its highest close since July 2022 after Trump and Netanyahu sought to reassure investors rattled by the damage to major Persian Gulf energy facilities. Brent crude fell toward $105 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate for May was around $93.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed in a post on X to show “ZERO restraint” if the country’s energy infrastructure was hit again.
As part of the barrage, Saudi Arabia said a drone hit its Samref refinery on the Red Sea, a vital exit route for the world’s biggest oil exporter, while the kingdom said it also shot down ballistic missiles fired toward the capital, Riyadh.
Qatar reported “extensive damage” at the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export plant, with QatarEnergy saying the attacks would cost about $20 billion a year in lost revenue and would take as long as five years to repair.
The UAE shut a major gas facility because of falling debris from missiles. Two oil refineries in Kuwait were struck by drones that caused fires, according to Kuwait Petroleum Corp. Iraq also reported a loss of power generation after Iran halted gas supplies from South Pars in the wake of the Israeli attack.
The latest attacks increased the potential for other countries to join the conflict. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud warned overnight that the kingdom’s restraint isn’t “unlimited,” and warned it could take military action.
“It could be a day, two days, or a week,” he told reporters in Riyadh, adding the relationship between the kingdom and Tehran has “completely shattered.”
The Trump administration on Thursday moved ahead with $23 billion in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, aiming to bolster those countries as they come under attack from Iran, according to a State Department spokesperson.
Now in its 20th day, the war has claimed more than 4,100 lives across the region, with about three quarters of them in Iran. Dozens have been killed across the Middle East, while the US has lost 13 military personnel and numerous aircraft.
The risk of lasting damage to energy infrastructure and supply is increasing. Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint for about a fifth of global oil and LNG flows – have so far been unsuccessful.
Trump temporarily waived a century-old shipping mandate to lower the cost of transporting energy goods around the US in a bid to curb price rises.
Ghana: TOR Ranks 2nd Best In PFM Compliance League Table, Tops Energy Sector
Ghana’s premier refinery, Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), has been ranked the second-best institution in the Public Financial Management (PFM) Compliance League Table released by the Ministry of Finance.
Within the energy sector, TOR outperformed all state-owned agencies, including the supervisory Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, which ranked third.
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) placed fourth, while the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC) and the Petroleum Commission ranked seventh and ninth, respectively.
The refinery resumed crude processing in late December 2025 following major rehabilitation works.
For more than six years, refining had been halted due to a non-functioning crude refining unit and mounting debt.
Following a change in government, current management undertook rehabilitation, restored one processing unit, and ramped up output to 28,000 barrels per day.
In a statement, TOR welcomed the recognition and expressed gratitude to its staff and stakeholders for their collective effort in achieving what it described as a historic milestone.
“TOR remains committed to compliance across all facets of good corporate governance,” the statement said.
The PFM Compliance League Table, developed by the Ministry of Finance, fulfils the government’s commitment in the 2025 Budget Statement to publish an objective, evidence-based assessment of public institutions’ compliance with the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), its regulations, and related laws.
It benchmarks how institutions adhere to rules governing the use of public funds.
By ranking institutions constructively, the Ministry aims to deepen transparency, promote accountability, and encourage continuous improvement.
The table also highlights significant compliance gaps, underscoring the need for corrective action and stronger enforcement.
The Ministry said it will engage covered entities with low scores to help address the gaps.