Middle East Crisis Update — 09:31 CET, March 2, 2026

18+ sources consulted | Day 3

Key Developments

⛽🔥 BREAKING: Drone hits Aramco oil refinery in Saudi Arabia — Iranian attack on Saudi oil infrastructure. Major escalation: Iran directly struck the kingdom’s primary economic asset. Potentially devastating consequences for oil prices. 🔗 Middle East Eye
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia: “We backed talks with Iran, not military action” — Riyadh officially distances itself from US-Israel strikes. Strong statement marking a break from the Western narrative. 🔗 Middle East Eye
🇰🇼 Kuwait: “several casualties” from Iranian strikes — first official Kuwaiti toll. 🔗 Guardian Live
🇮🇱 Israel kills 31 in Lebanon, vows to expand strikes after Hezbollah fire. 🔗 Asharq Al-Awsat

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia: “We backed dialogue, not war” ↔️ 🇺🇸 US: Graham met MBS to “bring him on board” for the operation (Riyadh seeks to rewrite its position after Aramco attack)