Suddenly! Iran announces the destruction of Ukraine's anti-drone system! Pesehiziyan, latest warning!

The situation in Iran remains tense over the weekend!

According to the latest news, the Iranian military stated on the 28th that it hit a support vessel belonging to the U.S. Navy early that morning.

The Iranian military also reported that in the past few hours, it had conducted missile and drone strikes on two “covert bases” of the U.S. military located in Dubai, UAE, resulting in significant casualties among U.S. forces.

Additionally, according to a report by Xinhua citing the Iranian Fars News Agency on the 28th, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that it used missiles to destroy a Ukrainian counter-drone system deployed in Dubai, UAE.

On the 28th local time, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated that if Iran’s infrastructure or economic centers become targets of attack, Iran will respond strongly.

Notably, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an order on the 27th prohibiting state officials appointed by the governor from profiting from insider information in prediction markets. The California Governor’s Office stated that several suspected insiders made bets on U.S. military strikes against Iran, collectively profiting $1.2 million, and they conveniently opened their prediction market accounts just days before the conflict occurred.

Iranian military: hit a U.S. military vessel

According to CCTV News, on the 28th local time, a spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces’ Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command stated that the Iranian military struck a support vessel belonging to the U.S. Navy off the coast of Salalah, Oman early that morning.

The spokesperson also emphasized that Iran fully respects Oman’s national sovereignty and pointed out that the location of the attacked vessel is still quite far from Salalah Port.

The spokesperson stated that in the past few hours, the Iranian military conducted missile and drone strikes on two “covert bases” of the U.S. military located in Dubai, UAE, claiming to have caused significant casualties among U.S. forces.

The spokesperson also mentioned that as Iran continues to strike U.S. military bases in the Middle East, some U.S. soldiers have relocated from the bases to external hiding places. These two “covert bases” in Dubai accommodate over 400 and more than 100 U.S. soldiers, respectively.

Additionally, according to Xinhua citing the Iranian Tasnim News Agency on the 28th, a spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces’ Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command said that two enemy refueling aircraft were destroyed, and one U.S. support vessel was attacked.

The spokesperson stated that since the evening of the 27th, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched missile attacks on a U.S. military base located in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia, destroying two of five U.S. refueling aircraft and severely damaging the other three, rendering them combat ineffective.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on the 27th, U.S. and Saudi officials revealed that Iran attacked the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, which hosts U.S. troops, resulting in 10 U.S. personnel being injured and several U.S. aerial refueling aircraft being damaged.

Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation stated on the 28th that Kuwait International Airport was again attacked by multiple drones that day, severely damaging radar systems.

On the 28th local time, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated on social media that Iran will not conduct a preemptive attack, but if Iran’s infrastructure or economic centers are attacked, Iran will respond strongly. He warned that if regional countries wish to achieve development and security, they should not allow Iran’s adversaries to use their territory to launch attacks on Iran.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated on the 28th that he had a detailed phone conversation lasting over an hour with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that day, informing him of Pakistan’s engagements with the U.S. and Middle Eastern countries, expressing hope that these diplomatic activities would promote dialogue and ease tensions.

Iranian war raises global shipping costs

The European Transport and Environment Federation released a report on the 27th stating that due to the war involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran, global shipping fuel costs have surged significantly, increasing operational pressure on the industry while also providing an opportunity to accelerate the energy transition.

The report indicated that since February 28, the global shipping industry has incurred over €4.6 billion in additional fuel costs. As the conflict continues, the price of marine fuel has risen significantly. For example, in the Port of Singapore, the price of ultra-low sulfur fuel oil has risen to €941 per ton, an increase of 223% since the beginning of the year; liquefied natural gas prices have risen 72% since early March.

The report noted that approximately 99% of ships globally still rely on fossil fuels, making the shipping industry highly sensitive to fluctuations in energy prices and supply disruptions. Advancing ship electrification and improving operational efficiency can help mitigate fuel price shocks to some extent.

According to Xinhua, Eloi Nord, the shipping policy director of the European Transport and Environment Federation, stated that this round of shocks could become an important opportunity to promote the industry’s energy transition. Previously, some governments and companies believed that green shipping measures were too costly, but compared to the additional expenses caused by the current conflict, the cost pressure of such investments has significantly weakened.

On March 27, Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commissioner for Economic Affairs, stated that due to the Middle East conflict triggering a surge in energy prices, the EU economy is facing the risk of stagflation.

On the same day, the Eurogroup held an online meeting regarding energy prices. Dombrovskis stated at a press conference following the meeting that “the outlook is shrouded in high uncertainty,” and the EU economy faces the risk of stagflation, where economic growth slows while inflation rises. “Even if the disruption in energy supply is relatively short-lived, this situation can still occur.”

Analysis indicates that the EU’s economic growth rate in 2026 may be about 0.4 percentage points lower than the forecasts made in the fall of 2025, while the inflation rate may rise by 1 percentage point. If the energy supply disruptions become more severe and last longer, the negative impact on the EU economy will be greater, with growth rates in 2026 and 2027 potentially decreasing by 0.6 percentage points each.

Dombrovskis pointed out that due to the multiple shocks previously faced by EU countries and the urgent need to increase defense spending, the policy space for most EU countries is very limited.

California: Bans officials from profiting from insider information in prediction markets

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an order on the 27th prohibiting state officials appointed by the governor from profiting from insider information in prediction markets.

According to CCTV News, the California Governor’s Office stated in a press release that some officials who apparently have access to sensitive federal government information have made “extremely precise” bets in prediction markets. The statement also criticized some officials for turning public service into a means of “quick wealth.”

The statement noted that four cases of predictive trading showed that individuals without insider information are extremely unlikely to make relevant trades. The profits from related predictions range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars and involve multiple military actions by the U.S. against Venezuela and Iran, with some predictions opening accounts just days before the actions occurred or placing bets just hours before the actions. Among them, six suspected insiders made bets on U.S. military strikes against Iran, collectively profiting $1.2 million, and they conveniently opened their prediction market accounts just days before the conflict occurred.

The so-called prediction market is an internet platform that allows registered users to bet on global political, sports, and cultural events before they happen, combining aspects of online gambling and financial speculation. Major companies such as the Polymarket prediction site and the “Kalshi” site have received significant capital attention in recent years, with the former being valued at up to $10 billion.

Proofread by: Wang Wei