PARIS, France, March 13, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Here are the latest economic events in the Middle East war on Thursday:

- Iran threatens oil and gas sector -

Iran has threatened to "set the region's oil and gas on fire with the slightest attack on Iran's energy infrastructure and ports", said a spokesman for its military central operational command.

- Brent closes above $100 -

Oil prices jumped Thursday with Brent crude settling above $100 a barrel for the first time since August 2022. It surged 9.2 percent to $100.46 a barrel.

The rise in energy prices could cause price hikes throughout the global economy.

- Iran vows to keep Strait of Hormuz closed -

Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei called for using "the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz", which the country's Revolutionary Guards vowed to carry out.

The strait is a key waterway through which a fifth of global crude passes.

Earlier, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US military was "not ready" to escort tankers through the strait as all its assets are focused on striking Iran.

- 'Historic' fallout: IEA -

The Middle East war "is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market" as Iran's chokehold on regional supplies forces Gulf producers to slash production, the International Energy Agency said.

It noted that crude production is down by at least 8.0 million barrels per day.

- Deadly attacks on tankers off Iraq -

An attack on two oil tankers off Iraq killed at least one crew member, an Indian national, as Iran pressed a campaign to disrupt global energy markets in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes.

The other crew members were rescued, Farhan Al-Fartousi, from Iraq's General Company for Ports, told AFP.

- Cargo ship catches fire after hit with shrapnel -

German shipowners Hapag-Lloyd said that one of their cargo vessels in the Gulf caught fire after being "hit with shrapnel" overnight, adding that no one was injured.

"We don't know where (the debris) came from, whether it was a rocket or a drone" or another munition, a company spokesman told AFP.

- Drone falls near Dubai finance hub -

A drone fell near Dubai's financial district, an AFP journalist saw, a day after some companies evacuated the area following Iranian threats against economic targets linked to the US and Israel.

Kuwait's international airport saw damage from drone attacks, civil aviation said.

- China cuts refined oil exports -

China has tightened export curbs on refined oil products, Bloomberg News reported, as Beijing seeks to shield its economy from the war.

The world's second-largest economy is the biggest importer of crude oil, with its refining operations mainly serving the country's massive domestic market.

- Countries try to limit cost pressures -

South Korea said a fuel price cap would be imposed to mitigate pressure on the country's energy supply during the Iran war, the first such measure introduced there.

The country is heavily reliant on energy imports, including shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Spain's government also said it would soon present a plan to contain the war's impact on electricity and fuel prices.

- Airlines react to higher fuel prices -

New Zealand's national airline said it would cancel 1,100 flights over the next two months.

Hong Kong aviation giant Cathay Pacific announced new jet fuel surcharges for most routes, and Air France-KLM said it was raising ticket prices.

- TotalEnergies says shuts 15% output -

TotalEnergies said it had shut down 15 percent of its total oil and gas production due to the war in the Middle East.