Chief-Exec.com

Qatar warns war will force Gulf to stop energy exports ‘within days’
Qatar’s energy minister has warned that war in the Middle East could “bring down the economies of the world”, predicting that all Gulf energy exporters would shut down production within days and drive oil to $150 a barrel. Saad al-Kaabi told the FT that even if the war ended immediately it would take Qatar “weeks to months” to return to a normal cycle of deliveries following an Iranian drone strike at its largest liquefied natural gas plant. Qatar, the world’s second-largest producer of LNG, was forced to declare force majeure this week after the strike at its Ras Laffan plant. While Qatar only exports a small proportion of its gas to Europe, the energy minister said the continent would feel significant pain as Asian buyers outbid Europeans for whatever gas is available on the market, and as other Gulf countries find themselves unable to meet their contractual obligations. Financial Times, March 6

US grants waiver to allow India to buy Russian oil amid Iran war
The US has temporarily allowed India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea in an effort to keep global supplies flowing and temper further price increases. On Thursday the US treasury issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil, having previously imposed heavy sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. “To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the treasury department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil,” the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said in a statement posted to social media. “This stopgap measure will alleviate pressure caused by Iran’s attempt to take global energy hostage.” The Guardian, March 6

RAF strikes on Iranian missile sites ‘would be entirely legal’
It would be legal for RAF jets to strike Iranian missile sites which could target Britons, David Lammy said. The justice secretary stressed that the present operations involved British planes shooting down missiles and drones which were already in the sky over allied nations. But he indicated they could lawfully be used to hit targets within Iran to prevent the launch of attacks. He told BBC Breakfast: “It is entirely legal to protect our people and protect our staff, and therefore all operational capability is available to us in those circumstances.” Asked if that meant the UK could attack Iranian missile sites from our bases he said: “I’m not here to act as a lawyer, but I think your viewers will understand that in response to being attacked, yes, we can take down sites that are anticipating attacking our people across the region.” The Times, March 6

Ukraine to provide drone protection support in Middle East at US request
The United States and its Middle Eastern allies are turning to Ukraine for guidance on how to counter Iran’s Shahed drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday. According to Zelensky, several countries - including the US - have recently asked Kyiv for assistance in defending against the Iranian-made drones. He added that, in the past few days, he has spoken with leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait about potential cooperation. Tehran has fired hundreds of drones at US targets in neighbouring countries after ​the ‌US and Israel began a massive campaign of air strikes ⁠against Iran on Saturday. During its war with Russia, Ukraine has developed highly effective means of downing the ‌Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drone, which Moscow has been using for much ⁠of the four-year war. France 24, March 6

Iran hits Amazon data centres in jolt to Gulf AI drive
The rapid expansion of American-owned data centres in the Middle East has opened up a new front for Iran’s retaliation against the US, complicating Gulf ambitions to build multibillion-dollar AI facilities in the region. Drone strikes on Amazon Web Services facilities this week in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain highlight the vulnerability of cloud facilities - prominent symbols of US tech power in the region and hard to defend against air attack. Fars News Agency, an outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Thursday that Iran targeted Amazon and Microsoft facilities in recent drone strikes. Experts say Amazon’s facilities were likely targeted by Iran. Microsoft said it had not experienced any outages in the region. The strikes mark what is believed to be the world’s first military attack against the US “hyperscalers” that dominate the global cloud computing market. That could create a chilling effect on the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s plans to spend billions of dollars on local AI infrastructure in the coming years, a crucial plank of the oil-rich states’ efforts to diversify their economies. Financial Times, March 6

Surgeon's operation on patient 1,500 miles away a UK first
A surgeon in London says he has performed the UK's first long‑distance robotic operation on a patient located 1,500 miles (2,400km) away in Gibraltar. Leading robotic urological surgeon Professor Prokar Dasgupta said it felt "almost as if I was there" as he carried out a prostate removal on Paul Buxton. The cancer patient, 62, said it had been a "no-brainer" to take part and become "part of medical history". It is hoped that remote robotic surgery could spare future patients the "vast expense and inconvenience" of travelling for treatment and help deliver better healthcare to people in more remote locations. UK surgeons have taken part in major telesurgery breakthroughs, including a 4,000‑mile transatlantic robotic stroke procedure on a cadaver - a body of someone who has donated themselves to science - proving long‑distance surgery was technically possible. Buxton is originally from Burnham‑on‑Sea in Somerset but moved to Gibraltar 40 years ago. Gibraltar, a British overseas territory, has just one hospital, St Bernard's at Europort, meaning residents with more complex medical needs often have to travel abroad, usually to the UK for NHS care if eligible. BBC news, March 6

Pentagon eyes Ukrainian interceptor drones to counter Iran
The Pentagon and at least one Gulf government are in talks to buy Ukrainian-made interceptors to fend off attacks by Iranian drones, according to industry figures in Ukraine. Gulf states had been using expensive Patriot missiles to defend themselves from waves of Iranian Shahed drones in the days since the US and Israel launched their war. But their stocks are declining, and they are looking to Kyiv’s experience for cheaper defence against Russian drone barrages. Ukraine has pioneered using mass-produced interceptors costing a few thousand dollars to destroy Russian versions of the Shahed, launched against Ukrainian cities in swarms. Shaheds cost a mere $30,000, while interceptor missiles like the PAC-3s used in the Patriot system cost millions. One Ukrainian official described the discussions with the Pentagon as a “sensitive” topic. “However, it is obvious that there is a surge in interest in the Ukrainian drone interceptors, which can intercept the Shahed for a very low cost.” A local industry figure said any sales of Ukrainian systems, even those made outside the country, would have to be in co-ordination with Kyiv. Financial Times, March 5

US Senate vote fails to rein in Trump war powers on Iran
A bipartisan resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's ability to wage war in Iran has failed in the US Senate, as the strikes continue. The war powers measure was rejected in a 53-47 vote largely along party lines. It would have halted US military action in Iran without congressional approval. Democrats argue that Trump has sidelined Congress and offered shifting reasons for the war. Most Republicans blocked the resolution, but some said they could change course if the war expands in the coming weeks. The US and Israel began striking Iran on Saturday. The Islamic republic has responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf. With no clear off-ramp in sight, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war could last eight weeks - almost double the duration mentioned by Trump at the weekend. BBC news, March 4

US submarine sinks Iranian warship as conflict spreads beyond Middle East
A torpedo fired by a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the south coast of Sri Lanka as the Trump administration followed through on its threats to destroy Tehran’s military and political leadership. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack on the Iris Dena on Wednesday. The frigate was sailing in international waters as it returned from a naval exercise organised by India in the Bay of Bengal. The torpedo strike prompted questions from former US officials about whether Washington’s aim of eliminating all of Iran’s military breached international law. The incident came as the US-Israeli air assault on Iran continued for a fifth day, with Washington officials warning that strikes would soon hit targets “deeper” in Iran. US forces also targeted pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it would continue missile and drone strikes on targets throughout the Middle East. The Guardian, March 4

Video: Trump threatens Spain with trade embargo for criticism of Iran campaign
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned what he described as the US and Israel's unilateral military action in Iran, adding that the move contributes to “a more hostile and uncertain international order”. Now, in contrast to other EU nations, Spain is refusing use of jointly operated military bases on its territory to attack Iran. In response, US President Donald Trump has brandished economic punishment. France 24, March 5

Mental decline ‘not inevitable’ with age
The long, slow slide into cognitive decline and frailty as we age is far from inevitable and almost half of people actually improve mentally or physically as they grow old, a study has found. The key to staying fit and mentally agile may be a positive outlook, scientists found, suggesting improvement in later life was common. The biggest boosts were seen among those aged over 65 who had a cheerful view of growing old and refused to accept the inevitability of decline. The researchers followed more than 11,000 people aged over 65 for periods of up to 12 years. Changes in their brain function were tracked through 13-stage cognitive tests and their physical strength or frailty was assessed by monitoring average walking speeds. Over the period, 45.2 per cent of the 11,000 people studied improved in one or both of the cognitive or physical measures, including 31.9 per cent who showed cognitive improvements and 28 per cent physical improvements. The Times, March 5