Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

Kuwait has accused Iran of sending an armed Revolutionary Guard team to launch a failed attack on an island in the Middle East nation DUBAI, United Arab Emirates --Kuwait accused Iran on Tuesday of sending an armed paramilitary Revolutionary Guard team to launch a failed attack earlier this month on an island in the Middle East nation home to a China-funded port project. The accusation by Kuwait of an Iranian link to the incident came just before U.S. President Donald Trump travels to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Iran didn't immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under repeated attack by Iran in the war and even during the shaky ceasefire still holding in the region. However, the allegation and ongoing attacks throughout the region have threatened to tip the region back into open warfare. The accusation came as the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said that Israel sentIron Domeanti-missile batteries and personnel to operate them to the United Arab Emirates to defend the country during the war as well. That underlined the growing defense relationship between Israel and the UAE, countries long suspicious of Iran. It also represents the first publicly acknowledged deployment of Israel's military to the Emirates, a federation of seven sheikdoms on the Arabian Peninsula home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The narrow Strait of Hormuz remains in Tehran's chokehold and negotiations between the U.S. and Iran appear at a standstill for the moment — also raising the risk of the conflict breaking out again. Kuwait said that a team of six armed members of the Guard tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf near Iraq and Iran on May 1. It accused the team of planning to carry out “hostile acts,” without elaborating. Kuwait said that it detained four of the men, while two escaped when its forces disrupted their infiltration of the island. Kuwait that said one of its security officials had been wounded in the attack, which initially was announced on May 3 without any details. Kuwait identified the men held as two Guard naval captains, a Guard naval lieutenant and a Guard army lieutenant. Bubiyan Island is home to Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is under construction as part of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. That project also came under attack during the war by Iran. Kuwait provided no reason for why it delayed linking the attack to Iran. Trump is traveling this week to China for a summit with Xi, during which Iran will likely be a topic. Beijing long has been a buyer of sanctioned Iranian crude oil and has been hurt by the strait's closure, which has sparked a global energy crisis. Huckabee, a Baptist minister, former governor of Arkansas and one-time presidential candidate, made the comment on stage at an event in Tel Aviv, Israel. “I’d like to say a word of appreciation for United Arab Emirates, the first Abraham accord member,” Huckabee said at the Tel Aviv Conference. “Just look at the benefits. Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them.” The United Arab Emiratesdiplomaticallyrecognized Israelin 2020. That drew criticism from Iran, long Israel's main regional enemy. Iran didn't immediately respond to Huckabee's remarks, though it has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates. The UAE and Israel didn't immediately respond to a request for comment over the acknowledgment by Huckabee. However, Huckabee's remarks came after the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, was quoted as saying the same during an event at the Israeli mission there Monday night — suggesting this was an intentional release of the information, likely with the Emiratis' and Israelis' blessing. It comes as the UAE has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached in the war and has been trying to signal to nervous investors and the public it remains open for business and safe. The UAE also has closed down Iranian government-linked sites in the country since the war began. The Emirates long has been used by both the Iranian government and average Iranians as a place to safely do business offshore from the Islamic Republic. On Thursday during a visit to the Emirates by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan accompanied him to an air base where Egyptian pilots and Rafael fighter jets were stationed — the first acknowledgment of a detachment operating in the UAE. Sheikh Mohammed and the UAE strongly backed el-Sissi as he rose to power in 2013 and in the years since. Huckabee added that he was “very optimistic” that additional countries in the region will soon join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 diplomatic recognition deal that also included the Gulf Arab kingdom of Bahrain, for formal relations with Israel. However, many Arab states remain incensed by Israel's wide-ranging military campaigns after Hamas' 2023 attack on the country, which has seen the Gaza Strip leveled and Iran's allies attacked across the wider Mideast. Israel now controls territory in Lebanon and Syria as well. Huckabee in his remarks also sought to shore up U.S. support for the recent war, suggesting that “Israel is the appetizer, America has always been the entrée" for Iran's theocracy. “The Gulf states now understood they will have to make a choice — is it more likely they will be attacked by Iran or Israel?" Huckabee asked. "They see that Israel helped us and Iran attacked us. Israel is not trying to take over your land, and is not sending missiles to you.” Meanwhile Tuesday, prosecutors in Bahrain said at least two dozen people were handed prison sentences on Tuesday on charges including espionage and conspiring with Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. They said three were sentenced to life. Others received shorter Iran-related sentences. Bahrain — an island nation ruled by a Sunni Muslim monarchy with a Shiite-majority population — has sentenced dozens on Iran-related charges since the start of the war. Prosecutors and the Interior Ministry have alleged that Iran maintains cells that carry out espionage and help identify targets there. Rights groups say the island nation has widened a crackdown on dissidents during the war, as well as on Shiites. ___ Melanie Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Sam Metz contributed to this report from Ramallah, West Bank.

Iran didn’t immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under repeated attack by Iran in the war and even during the shaky ceasefire still holding in the region. However, the allegation and ongoing attacks throughout the region have threatened to tip the region back into open warfare. The accusation came as the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said that Israel sent Iron Dome anti-missile batteries and personnel to operate them to the United Arab Emirates to defend the country during the war as well. (AP video by Bassam Hatoum) This is a locator map for the Gulf Cooperation Council member states: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo) Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept as air raid sirens sound in Tel Aviv, on Oct. 23, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Pool Photo via AP, File) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine arrive to testify at a House Appropriations subcommittee budget hearing for the Department of Defense, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Vehicles drive past banners showing portraits of the school children who were killed during a strike on a school in southern town of Minab on Feb. 28, at Tajrish square in northern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Kuwait said on Tuesday that Iran launched a failed attack earlier this month on an island where China is helping build a port in the Gulf Arab country. The accusation came just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump was todepart for Beijingon ahigh-stakes visitover theIran warand other issues. Trump said he would have a “long talk” about Iran with Chinese President Xi Jinping but said trade would be a bigger focus. As he left for the summit, Trump again threatened Iran if its leaders don’t reach an agreement on its nuclear program. “We have Iran very much under control,” Trump said. “We’re either going to make a deal or they’re going to be decimated. One way or the other, we win.” AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on a bipartisan grilling about the Iran war for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Capitol Hill. Iranian state media quoted the country’s foreign ministry as calling “baseless” the allegation by Kuwait, which came under attack by Iran inthe warand during theshaky ceasefirethat is still holding. But the allegation and ongoing attacks in the region have threatened to reignite open warfare. The narrowStrait of Hormuzremains in Iran’s chokehold, the U.S. is maintaining a blockade against Iran and negotiations between the two countries appear at a standstill. “True peace cannot be built with a literature of humiliation, threats, and coercive score-settling,” Kazem Gharibabadi, an Iranian diplomat, said Tuesday on X. With the risk of the conflict breaking out again, Israel has sentIron Dome air-defense weaponsand personnel to operate them to the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said. It was the first publicly acknowledged deployment of Israel’s military to the Emirates — home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai — and underlined the growing relationship between Israel and the UAE. Also very late on Tuesday night, a magnitude 4.6 earthquake shook parts of Iran, followed by several aftershocks, according to Iranian state media. Witnesses felt the temblor in the capital of Tehran, where some people sought refuge in the streets. Iranian state TV said there were no reports of casualties. Kuwait said a paramilitary Revolutionary Guard team tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf near Iraq and Iran on May 1. Four men were detained and two escaped when Kuwait’s forces disrupted the attack, it said. A statement that Iranian media attributed to the foreign ministry in Tehran said four officers on a “conventional maritime patrol mission” had entered Kuwait’s waters because of “a disruption in the navigation system.” It denied any hostile intent and called for the men’s release. Bubiyan Island is home to Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is under construction as part of a Chinese plan to buildinfrastructure across the world. It also came under Iranian attack during the war. Kuwait provided no reason for why it delayed linking the attack to Iran after initially announcing it on May 3 without any details. Trump is traveling this week to China for a summit where Iran will likely be a main topic. Beijing long has been a buyer of sanctioned Iranian crude oil and has been hurt by the strait’s closure, which has sparked a global energy crisis. U.S. ambassador to IsraelMike Huckabeerevealed at a conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, that Israel has sentIron Domeair-defense to the UAE. The United Arab Emiratesdiplomaticallyrecognized Israelin 2020. That drew criticism from Iran, long Israel’s main regional enemy. Iran didn’t immediately respond to Huckabee’s remarks, though it has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates. The Israeli military declined to comment on Huckabee’s statement about the Iron Dome while the UAE didn’t immediately respond. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, was quoted as making comments similar to Huckabee’s during an event at the Israeli mission — suggesting the release of the information was intentional, likely with the Emiratis’ and Israelis’ blessing. The UAE has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached last month. It has been trying to signal to nervous investors and the public that it remains open for business and safe. U.S. Defense Secretary PeteHegseth told membersof Congress Tuesday that the military has plenty of bombs and missiles despite concerns about its stockpiles. He also maintained that the U.S. is in control of the Strait of Hormuz, even as Iranian attacks — and threats — have disrupted the shipment of oil and other products through the vital waterway. “Ultimately we control the strait, because nothing’s going in that we don’t allow to go in,” said Hegseth, who faced tough questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers who oversee defense spending. Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, asked what the Trump administration’s strategy is forreopening the waterway. “Your average American is seeing this at the gas pump every single day as the cost of gas continues to rise,” Coons said. Hegseth avoided specifics about the next steps in Iran. The Pentagon’s top budget official told Congress that the cost of the war is close to $29 billion so far — that’s up from an estimate of $25 billion just two weeks ago. One of Norway’s top diplomats met Tuesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, pressing for the need to open the strait. Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Kravik stressed that the attacks on commercial shipping and obstruction of the passageway must end, his minister, Espen Barth Eide, said in an email. Kravik said Iran’s actions affecting third-party countries are “completely unacceptable” and noted that Norway has some 25 vessels stranded, according to Eide. ___ Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press reporters Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, Collin Binkley and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Switzerland, and Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

Nello stretto di Hormuz ci sono centinaia di navi in attesa. Non sono solo petroliere. A bordo ci sono fertilizzanti, zolfo, ammoniaca, cereali. Se restano ferme si inceppa la catena che permette all’agricoltura globale di funzionare. Se lo stretto di Hormuz si blocca, il problema non riguarda soltanto il petrolio. Una parte decisiva dell’agricoltura mondiale dipende infatti da questa rotta: dai fertilizzanti prodotti con il gas naturale ai carichi di zolfo usati per i fosfati, fino ai cereali redistribuiti attraverso gli hub logistici degli Emirati Arabi Uniti. È questo il cuore dell’inchiesta del Financial Times, ripubblicata da Internazionale, che mostra come il Golfo Persico sia diventato un nodo decisivo non solo per il petrolio, ma per la produzione mondiale di cibo. La “rivoluzione verde” ha aumentato le rese agricole grazie soprattutto ai fertilizzanti chimici, legando però in modo strutturale i campi ai combustibili fossili. Le varietà di cereali e non solo ad alta resa funzionano solo con apporti continui di fertilizzanti industriali, in particolare quelli azotati prodotti a partire dal gas naturale. Ammoniaca, urea, zolfo Il primo anello della catena è l’ammoniaca. Secondo l’Agenzia internazionale dell’energia, citata nell’articolo, circa il 70% dell’ammoniaca mondiale viene usato per produrre fertilizzanti. E quasi il 30% delle esportazioni globali arriva dal Medio Oriente. Nel 2024 Arabia Saudita, Oman e Qatar hanno fornito insieme oltre tre quarti delle importazioni di ammoniaca dell’India e il 30% di quelle del Marocco. Il secondo elemento è l’urea, il fertilizzante azotato più diffuso. I paesi del Golfo rappresentano il 35% del commercio globale di urea; nel 2024 l’Arabia Saudita era il primo esportatore mondiale e l’Oman il terzo. Senza questi flussi, interi sistemi agricoli – dal Sud Asia al Nord Africa – si troverebbero improvvisamente senza input essenziali. Il terzo ingrediente è lo zolfo, meno noto ma altrettanto strategico. Serve per produrre acido solforico, indispensabile per i fertilizzanti fosfatici. Circa metà dello zolfo trasportato via mare nel mondo passa da Hormuz. Il Marocco, primo produttore globale di fosfati, dipende in larga parte da queste forniture: nel 2024 tre quarti delle sue importazioni di zolfo provenivano dal Golfo. Stretto di Hormuz, cuore della logistica globale Ma il punto più sottovalutato dell’inchiesta riguarda la logistica. Hormuz non è solo una rotta di passaggio: è l’accesso a uno dei più importanti sistemi di smistamento del commercio globale. Gli Emirati Arabi Uniti, e in particolare Dubai, funzionano come un gigantesco hub. Il porto di Jebel Ali, il più grande porto artificiale del mondo, collega oltre 150 porti con più di 80 rotte settimanali. Qui non arrivano solo merci: arrivano flussi globali che vengono riorganizzati. I cereali, per esempio, raramente viaggiano direttamente dal Paese produttore al Paese importatore. Le grandi navi cariche di grano o riso attraccano in hub come Dubai, dove il carico viene stoccato, suddiviso, talvolta rimescolato e poi redistribuito verso destinazioni più piccole, soprattutto in Africa e in Asia. Molti porti africani non possono accogliere navi di grande capacità, e i sistemi logistici locali sono limitati: senza hub intermedi, gran parte di questo commercio semplicemente non funzionerebbe. C’è anche un motivo commerciale: negli hub si decide dove indirizzare le merci in base ai prezzi e alla domanda. Gli Emirati non sono solo un punto di transito, ma un centro di trading globale. È da qui che partono flussi di cereali diretti verso Somalia, Ghana, Mozambico o Zimbabwe, e – secondo quanto riportato nell’articolo – una quota significativa del commercio tra Cina, Africa ed Europa. Un ingranaggio inceppato Se questo sistema si blocca, non si fermano solo le navi. Si interrompe la distribuzione dei fertilizzanti, rallenta quella dei cereali, si inceppa la logistica degli aiuti alimentari. Le conseguenze sono già visibili nei prezzi. A marzo, secondo i dati citati dal Financial Times, l’indice dei prezzi energetici della Banca mondiale è salito del 41,6%, il gas europeo del 59,4%, il petrolio Brent del 45,8%. Nello stesso periodo i fertilizzanti sono aumentati del 26,2% e gli alimenti del 2,7%. La Fao avverte che, se la crisi continuerà, i fertilizzanti potrebbero rincarare di un ulteriore 15-20% nel 2026. A pagare il prezzo più alto saranno i Paesi più fragili. Nel 2024 il Sudan ha importato dal Golfo il 54% dei fertilizzanti, lo Sri Lanka il 36%, la Tanzania il 31%, la Somalia il 30%. Il Programma alimentare mondiale stima che fino a 45 milioni di persone potrebbero essere spinte verso la fame. La nave ferma nello stretto di Hormuz, quindi, non è solo un episodio di tensione geopolitica. È il simbolo di un sistema alimentare globale che dipende da pochi passaggi obbligati, da pochi porti e da tre sostanze – ammoniaca, urea e zolfo – senza le quali l’agricoltura moderna non è in grado di produrre abbastanza cibo. © Riproduzione riservata Foto: Fotolia, Depositphotos

Excelerate Energy, a U.S.-based liquefied natural gas (LNG) and power infrastructure company headquartered in Texas, has secured a new assignment for its newbuild floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) at an LNG terminal in Jordan. Excelerate has executed a nine-month time charter party agreement with Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) to deploy the FSRUExcelerate Acadiato the country’s existing LNG terminal in Aqaba. This unit wasnameda few weeks ago at Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in South Korea. The FSRU is expected to begin operations in mid-2026. The interim deployment is perceived to enhance Jordan’s energy security by providing additional regasification capacity, generating incremental earnings for the U.S. firm, while it continues to advance Iraq’sfirst integrated LNG import terminalfor which it signeda definitive commercial agreementin October 2025 with a subsidiary of the country’s Ministry of Electricity. The integrated project includes a five-year agreement for regasification services and LNG supply, with extension options, and a minimum contracted offtake of 250 million standard cubic feet per day. Excelerate elaborates that jetty reinforcement and construction of the fixed terminal infrastructure have been temporarily delayed due to the conflict in the Middle East. As a result, the terminal is no longer expected to start operations in the third quarter of 2026 as previously disclosed, since the project startup is now anticipated in 2027. The long-term fundamentals supporting the project are said to remain unchanged, driven by chronic power shortages and limited domestic gas processing capacity in Iraq. The current conditions are perceived to further reinforce the country’s need for reliable and scalable LNG import infrastructure; thus, construction will resume as conditions allow. This content is available after accepting the cookies. US firm lands $450 million job for floating LNG terminal in Iraq Excelerate underlines that its terminal services operations performed as expected during the first quarter of 2026, supported by long-term, high-quality contracts, with theExplorerandExpressFSRUs remaining fully operational in the UAE, with crews safe and assets operating reliably in support of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the broader region as part of the country’s energy security infrastructure. After the company received aforce majeure noticein March 2026 from QatarEnergy in connection with its long-term LNG supply agreement due to theconflictin the Middle East, the U.S. player issued a corresponding notice to Petrobangla under its long-term supply agreement. This content is available after accepting the cookies. $25 billion price tag looms over Gulf energy infrastructure repairs, Rystad says “The transactions are structured on a back-to-back basis, with delivery obligations aligned to supply commitments and supported by contractual force majeure protections,”underlined Excelerate. Take the spotlight and anchor your brand in the heart of the offshore world! Join us for a bigger impact and amplify your presence at the core hub of the offshore energy community!

Accordo pluriennale per la logistica del team elettrico e rafforzamento della strategia sostenibile Dubai – Nel contesto della crescente attenzione verso la mobilità elettrica e la sostenibilità, anche le partnership tra logistica e motorsport stanno assumendo un ruolo strategico. In questo scenario si inserisce l’accordo tra DP World e Porsche, che unisce competenze industriali e innovazione tecnologica. Dp World è stata nominata partner logistico ufficiale del Porsche Formula E Team nel ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, con una collaborazione pluriennale avviata durante l’E-Prix di Madrid. L’intesa valorizza l’esperienza dell’azienda nella logistica automobilistica, dalla gestione di componenti e batterie per veicoli elettrici fino alla distribuzione dei veicoli finiti, offrendo soluzioni integrate e resilienti lungo la catena di approvvigionamento. Il management di Dp World ha sottolineato indirettamente come la partnership rifletta valori comuni di precisione, innovazione e alte prestazioni, oltre a rafforzare una collaborazione già esistente con Porsche, includendo il supporto logistico allo stabilimento di Lipsia. Anche da parte di Porsche è stato evidenziato come l’esperienza globale e le competenze logistiche del partner rappresentino un elemento chiave per garantire efficienza e affidabilità nelle competizioni internazionali. Il prossimo appuntamento sarà il Berlin E-Prix del 2 e 3 maggio, una tappa significativa sia per Porsche, che corre in casa, sia per Dp World, attiva in un mercato strategico come quello tedesco. La collaborazione rafforza inoltre la presenza di Dp World nel mondo dello sport globale, già estesa a realtà come McLaren F1 Team e ad altre competizioni internazionali, contribuendo alla visibilità del marchio e allo sviluppo di relazioni con i clienti. Nel complesso, l’accordo evidenzia come logistica avanzata e motorsport possano convergere nel promuovere innovazione e sostenibilità, elementi sempre più centrali nelle strategie industriali globali.