1PREMIUM Bound

Seven Malian refugees traveling from Mauritania were allegedly executed by Malian soldiers and Russian Africa Corps personnel near Ahl El Kory, close to the Mauritanian border, after their vehicles were stopped on March 6. Local sources say the unarmed Fulani civilians were shot or had their throats cut, while other passengers were beaten, questioned as suspected jihadists, then released.

Armed militants launched coordinated assaults on military facilities in Tahoua, a strategic city in northwestern Niger. The attacks targeted Air Base 401 at the local airport and the headquarters of the 42nd Inter‑Arms Battalion. Nigerien forces repelled both assaults after intense fighting, leaving several soldiers lightly wounded and multiple attackers dead, with five suspects arrested.

Oil prices surged toward $119 per barrel as the conflict involving Iran disrupted tanker traffic through the Persian Gulf, forcing several Gulf producers to reduce output and pushing governments to consider emergency energy measures. Saudi Arabia joined Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE in cutting production as shipments stalled and storage capacity tightened. With hundreds of tankers idling near the Strait of Hormuz and major shipping insurers suspending coverage, the crisis is rapidly evolving from a regional military conflict into a global energy shock.

Energy markets often react before the rest of the economy when geopolitical crises erupt. Oil has surged toward $90 per barrel as traders price the risk of disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, while European natural gas remains relatively calm but structurally exposed through LNG shipping routes. Together, the charts suggest markets are pricing risk, not yet a supply shock, as the conflict involving Iran enters its early phase.