Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; MD and group CEO, ADNOC; chairman of Masdar; and executive chairman of XRG, said on Monday that weaponising the Strait of Hormuz amounts to “economic terrorism against every nation”, warning that disruptions to the critical waterway are already driving up global energy prices and economic costs.

The comments come amid heightened tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran and its impact on the region.

Speaking at CERAWeek in Houston, Dr Al Jaber said threats to the strait, through which a significant share of global energy and commodities flows, have far-reaching consequences beyond oil markets.

“When Hormuz is squeezed, the pressure is immediately felt around the world,” he said. “In just three weeks, the price of oil has risen by 50 per cent.”

He added that the impact extends from “factories to farms to families”, raising living costs and slowing economic growth globally.

Dr Al Jaber described the situation as a security crisis rather than a supply issue, stating: “We cannot trade our way out of this crisis. Only way to stabilise markets is to open the strait.”

He noted that the Strait of Hormuz, a ‘critical artery’, is 21 miles wide, handles around 20 million barrels of oil a day, nearly a fifth of global oil and gas supply, as well as over a third of global fertiliser trade and significant volumes of petrochemicals and industrial metals.

“Much of the oxygen of the global economy runs through a single throat. Yet, Iran believes that choking it is an acceptable strategy,” he said.

Dr Al Jaber said disruptions to the waterway were also affecting broader transport and trade systems, amplifying economic risks.

“No country should be allowed to hold Hormuz hostage, not now, not ever,” Dr Al Jaber said.

A growing number of countries had backed international efforts to address the situation, including support for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 and a joint statement by 22 nations, including the UAE, condemning attacks on commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure and energy installations.

Dr Al Jaber says crisis reveals two visions

Turning to the UAE’s response, Dr Al Jaber said the country had taken steps to ensure resilience, including long-term investments in infrastructure and strategic partnerships.

He said the crisis has revealed two very different visions. One seeks to spread instability. One seeks to promote prosperity. The UAE, he added, made its choice long ago.

“At ADNOC, we took hits that no civilian enterprise should ever have to deal with,” he said, adding that the company was taking measures to protect staff and maintain supply commitments to customers and stakeholders. “Our word is our currency and when it matters, we step up and we show up.”

Dr Al Jaber said: “We will continue to defend our nation and our way of life. In fact, this experience has only reinforced our model of pragmatic progress, rooted in realism not ideology, steady in its course, practical in its approach and relentlessly focused on results.”

He shared that ADNOC, along with Masdar and XRG, has invested more than $85bn in US energy assets across 19 states, spanning power generation and chemicals, and is exploring further investments across the value chain, including storage and liquefied natural gas infrastructure.

He also highlighted the company’s focus on using embedded technology and AI across its operations, and strong alliances.

Dr Al Jaber also invited global energy leaders to attend ADIPEC in November for a working session focused on strengthening the resilience of the global energy system.

CERAWeek runs from March 23 to 27, while ADIPEC is scheduled to take place from November 2 to 5 at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi.

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said the weather across the UAE on Tuesday, March 24, is expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy, with convective cloud formation bringing rainfall of varying intensity to most regions.

The NCM said winds will be light to moderate, becoming active to strong at times with cloud activity, potentially causing blowing dust and sand and reducing horizontal visibility.

Winds are forecast to be north-easterly to south-easterly at speeds of 10 to 25 km/h, reaching up to 45 km/h.

Sea conditions in the Arabian Gulf are expected to be slight to moderate, turning rough at times with cloud activity.

In the Oman Sea, waves will be slight to moderate, becoming rough at times with clouds.

Cloudy weather, rainfall expected on March 25

On March 25, the UAE is likely to experience partly cloudy to cloudy, accompanied by some convective clouds with rainfall of different intensities over scattered areas.

Temperatures tend to increase gradually. Light to moderate Southeasterly to Northeasterly winds and fresh at times causing blowing
dust and sand, with a speed of 15 – 30, reaching 50 km/hr.

The sea will be slight to moderate, becoming rough at times with clouds in the Arabian Gulf and in Oman Sea.

Safety on the roads is a priority

Meanwhile, Dubai Police have called on drivers to exercise the utmost caution on the roads in light of anticipated weather fluctuations lasting through Friday, March 27.

Residents have been advised to remain vigilant, particularly in low-lying areas prone to water accumulation, and to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rain.

The authority also highlighted digital services available to the public, including the issuance of damage certificates for vehicles affected by natural events, part of broader efforts to streamline response and recovery during adverse weather conditions.

The International Energy Agency is consulting with governments in Asia and Europe on the release of more stockpiled oil “if necessary” due to the Iran war, Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Monday.

“If it is necessary, of course, we will do it. We look at the conditions, we will analyse, assess the markets and discuss with our member countries,” Birol told the National Press Club in Canberra, at the start of a world tour.

IEA member nations agreed on March 11 to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles to combat the spike in global crude prices. The drawdown represented 20 per cent of overall stocks.

There would not be a specific crude price level to trigger another release, Birol said.

“A stock release will help to comfort the markets, but this is not the solution. It will only help to reduce the pain in the economy.”

The IEA chief began his world tour in Canberra as the Asia Pacific is at the forefront of the oil crisis, he said, given its reliance on oil and other crucial products like fertiliser and helium transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

After meeting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Birol will travel to Japan later this week before a Group of Seven meeting.

‘Very severe’

He described the crisis in the Middle East as “very severe” and worse than the two oil shocks of the 1970s, as well as the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on gas, put together.

The war on Iran had taken 11 million barrels of oil per day from global supply, more than the two prior oil shocks combined.

“The single most important solution to this problem is opening the Hormuz Strait,” he said.

“The depth of the problem was not well appreciated by the decision makers around the world,” he said of his decision to begin speaking publicly three weeks into the war.

Stockpile drawdowns are only a portion of what the IEA could do, he said.

Measures outlined by the IEA, such as lowering speed limits or implementing work-from-home measures, had reduced energy use when implemented in Europe in 2022, but each nation would need to decide how best to enact fuel savings, Birol said.

He said that while Australia’s liquid fuel holdings were lower than IEA regulations, the current government had done much to improve them and that 30 days of diesel was a “solid number”

US President Donald Trump has ordered a temporary halt to planned military strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, following what he described as “productive” discussions with Tehran.

Trump said the US military would postpone any attacks on Iranian power plants and energy facilities for five days, signalling a potential window for de-escalation in the ongoing conflict.

“Based on the tenor and tone of these in depth, detailed, and constructive conversations, which will continue throughout the week, I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions,” he wrote on Truth Social.

The decision is linked to continued diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran, with the pause aimed at allowing further negotiations to take place.

The move comes amid heightened regional tensions, where energy infrastructure has emerged as a key flashpoint, fuelling concerns over global oil supply and broader market stability.

An Air Canada Express jet collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, killing both pilots, injuring dozens and closing the airport, authorities said, in an incident likely to intensify scrutiny after a series of recent aviation lapses.

The Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane, operated by its regional partner Jazz Aviation, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members from Montreal, Canada, said Kathryn Garcia, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Jazz is owned by Chorus Aviation.

Garcia said 32 of the 41 injured had been released, while nine remained in hospital with “serious injuries.” Those injured included passengers, crew members and the two officers aboard the fire truck; both officers remained hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries.

Fire truck was cleared to cross runway

Garcia said the fire truck was responding to a separate United Airlines aircraft that had “reported an issue with odor.”

Minutes earlier, air traffic control (ATC) audio from LiveATC.net indicated that a United Airlines flight had declared an emergency due to an odor onboard. Controllers advised the crew that fire trucks were already on site.

A second transmission then shows a fire truck was cleared to cross Runway 4, where the collision occurred, at taxiway ‘Delta.’

Moments later, according to the ATC audio, a controller can be heard saying: “Stop, stop, stop, truck 1 stop, truck 1, stop.”

The aircraft struck the fire vehicle at a speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 kph), according to flight tracking website Flightradar24, which last recorded data at 11:37pm ET (0337 GMT).

Photos taken by Reuters after the accident showed visible damage to the nose of the plane, which was tilted upward.

Air Canada referred Reuters to Jazz’s statement and said it was aware of the incident. Jazz had earlier acknowledged the collision and said it would provide further details when available.

Flights cancelled, delays expected

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was deploying a team of technical experts to investigate the incident, while the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the airport was expected to remain shut until 2pm ET (1800 GMT) on Monday.

The closure of one of New York’s busiest airports will add to travel disruption caused by the weeks-long partial government shutdown. Absences among transportation security workers have soared, leading to lengthy lines for passengers at major US airports.

New York City’s emergency notification system said people could expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and emergency personnel near the airport.

About 537 flights had been canceled at the airport so far on Monday, according to tracking website FlightAware.

LaGuardia served more than 30 million annual passengers in 2025, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a wide range of US airlines operate at the airport.

Recent incidents

According to the FAA, there have been 97 runway incursions in January this year, compared to 133 incidents during the same period last year.

A bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers last month proposed legislation to address 50 aviation safety recommendations issued after a year-long investigation into the January 2025 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.

Last year also saw a UPS cargo plane crash shortly after takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky, killing seven and injuring 11 on the ground.