March 06: US-Iran War; South Korea says it will receive 6 million barrels of oil from UAE

South Korea says it reached an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to receive 6 million barrels of crude oil, aiming to stabilize energy prices spiked by the escalating war in the Middle East.
Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, said in a briefing Friday that the emergency supplies are intended to curb fuel costs which surged this week.

Iran launched a new wave of missiles and drones targeting Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday morning, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.

South Korea’s foreign minister told a legislative hearing that the United States has not requested military or non-military assistance from Seoul over the war in the Middle East, but declined to comment on reports that Washington could relocate some of its assets in South Korea to support the fighting.

When asked by a lawmaker about a media report that U.S. forces were moving some of its Patriot anti-missile defense systems to a major airbase near Seoul, Cho Hyun said he couldn’t confirm details related to U.S. military operations.

Cho said Seoul and Washington were maintaining close communication and that the allies’ combined defense posture would not be affected by developments in the Middle East.

U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement it does not “comment on the movement, relocation, or potential repositioning of specific military capabilities or assets” for operational security reasons.

The USFK statement came in response to questions from The Associated Press about a Yonhap News report, citing anonymous sources, that said U.S. forces moved multiple Patriot systems from other bases in South Korea to Osan Air Base, where transport aircraft were also spotted.

Yonhap said it wasn’t immediately clear whether the movements were linked to the war or joint U.S.-South Korea military drills beginning Monday.

“United States Forces Korea remains focused on maintaining a strong, ready, and combat-credible force posture on the Korean Peninsula,” USFK said.

Etihad Airways said it is restarting a “limited flight schedule” from its hub in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi starting Friday.

The government-backed carrier has operated some flights in recent days, but its latest announcement suggests it is moving toward more regular operations.

Etihad said that previously booked passengers as well as new customers will be able to travel on the flights, assuming “all safety criteria are met.”

It listed more than 70 destinations it planned to fly to between Friday and March 19.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry reported the destruction of another drone near Riyadh, this one to its northeast.

Source: APN news