Brussels calls on European States to Fill Gas Stocks Less
The European Commission has called on European states to reduce their gas filling target for next winter, in order to alleviate pressure on prices that are soaring due to the war in the Middle East.
Instead of filling their gas stocks to 90% for next winter, the usual required level, the EU is urging the Twenty-Seven to aim for a filling target of 80%, in order to “reassure market participants,” according to a letter to the states from European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jorgensen.
An Iranian Hospital Closed in Dubai
The United Arab Emirates has ordered the closure of an Iranian hospital in Dubai, as confirmed by three of its employees to AFP, as Gulf countries are regularly targeted by Iranian strikes in retaliation for the American-Israeli offensive.
After years of tension, Gulf countries had been getting closer to Iran recently – the UAE had reopened its diplomatic representation in Iran in 2022 – until this conflict.
The Revolutionary Guards Claim to Have Hit an Israeli F-16
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have claimed to have targeted an Israeli F-16 fighter jet flying over the center of the country. “An enemy F-16 fighter jet belonging to the Zionist regime was hit at 03:45 in central Iran,” the Guards stated on their Sepah News website.
The Israeli army had previously stated that an air-to-air missile was fired at an Israeli aircraft during an “operational activity” in Iran, without specifying the type of plane. They also added that “no damage was caused to the aircraft.” It was not immediately clear if the Iranian and Israeli statements were referring to the same incident.
Iranian media also released an image showing smoke in the sky, claiming that another aircraft had been targeted, without specifying its type or whether it belonged to Israel or the United States.
Israel Announces Strikes on Missile Production Facilities
The Israeli army announced that it had struck facilities used for the production of ballistic missiles by the Revolutionary Guards Corps in Tehran, on the 22nd day of the conflict in the Middle East.
“During the night, the Israeli Air Force conducted a significant strike operation in Tehran,” the army said in a statement. “As part of this operation, facilities used for the production of components essential to the development of ballistic missiles, owned by the security apparatus of the Iranian regime, were targeted,” they continued.
The targeted sites reportedly included a dedicated complex for the production and development of ballistic missile components, a storage facility, and a site of the Iranian Ministry of Defense responsible for producing fuel for missiles.
