Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu were formally received at Windsor Castle by Britain’s King Charles III during a ceremonial welcome marking the President’s State Visit to the United Kingdom.

The reception featured full royal honours, including a 42-gun salute by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, underscoring the diplomatic significance of the visit.

Senior members of the British Royal Family, including the Queen Consort and the Prince and Princess of Wales, were also present to welcome the Nigerian leader and his delegation.

President Tinubu and the First Lady had earlier arrived at Stansted Airport, where they were received with full ceremonial pageantry, including a carriage procession and a formal military parade en route to Windsor Castle.

This marks the first State Visit by a Nigerian head of state to the United Kingdom in 37 years, despite previous working visits by Tinubu since assuming office.

The visit is being viewed as a major diplomatic milestone, symbolising renewed engagement between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and strengthening historical ties between both nations.

Photographs from the event captured the elaborate ceremonies, royal receptions, and formal interactions at Windsor Castle, reflecting the grandeur of the occasion.

Qatar has taken a dramatic diplomatic step by declaring Iran’s military and security attaches at its embassy in Doha, along with associated staff, persona non grata, ordering them to leave the country within 24 hours.

The decision, announced by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, comes amid escalating regional tensions and repeated strikes attributed to Iran against Qatari territory.

According to the ministry, the move is a direct response to what it described as Iran’s continued attacks on the country, including recent strikes on critical energy infrastructure.

The latest escalation follows reported missile attacks on Qatar’s largest gas production hub at Ras Laffan Industrial City, part of the operations managed by QatarEnergy.

The strikes allegedly caused fires and significant damage, despite earlier evacuations triggered by security warnings.

Qatar said it has formally notified the Iranian embassy of the expulsion and warned that further action may follow if attacks continue.

The Foreign Ministry stressed that it reserves the right to take “all necessary measures” to protect its sovereignty, security, and national interests under international law.

The diplomatic fallout adds to rising tensions across the Gulf, where Iran has been accused of expanding its retaliation campaign following the wider conflict involving the United States and Israel.

Tehran, meanwhile, has maintained that its actions are in response to strikes on its own energy infrastructure and says Gulf states hosting or supporting Western military operations are legitimate targets.

Qatar, alongside other Gulf countries, has reported intercepting multiple missiles and drones in recent days, though some have reportedly breached defenses, causing damage.

The latest expulsions signal a sharp deterioration in Qatar–Iran relations and raise fears of further diplomatic and military escalation in an already volatile region.

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly criticised Israel’s attack on Iran’s critical energy infrastructure, warning that further escalation could trigger devastating consequences across the Middle East.

In a statement shared via the White House on X, Mr. Trump distanced the United States from Wednesday’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field—the world’s largest—saying Washington played no role in the operation.

He described the Israeli action as a reaction “out of anger” to ongoing tensions in the region but made it clear that such attacks must stop.

According to him, no further strikes on the South Pars facility should occur—unless Iran continues targeting Qatar.

At the same time, Mr. Trump condemned Iran’s retaliation, particularly missile attacks on gas infrastructure in Qatar.

He issued a stark warning that any additional Iranian strikes on Qatar could provoke an overwhelming U.S. response, including the destruction of the entire South Pars gas field.

The situation has rapidly escalated into a broader regional energy crisis.

In Qatar, missiles struck the Ras Laffan Industrial City, a key hub for global liquefied natural gas production, triggering major fires and extensive damage.

The facility had been evacuated ahead of the attack following Iranian threats.

State energy giant QatarEnergy confirmed that multiple LNG installations were hit, forcing a shutdown of operations and a declaration of force majeure—effectively suspending contractual supply obligations to global buyers.

Iran’s retaliation did not stop there. The country also targeted two oil refineries in Saudi Arabia and the Habshan gas facility in Abu Dhabi, prompting authorities in the United Arab Emirates to shut down the site.

Tehran has argued that Gulf countries hosting U.S. operations have made themselves legitimate targets, while also attempting to pressure them into pushing Washington toward a ceasefire.

Despite Mr. Trump’s warning, Iran has yet to indicate whether it will halt further strikes.
Meanwhile, the fallout is already being felt globally.

The attacks have intensified an ongoing energy crisis, with gas and petroleum prices surging sharply since the conflict—sparked by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February—began.

The war has now claimed over 1,500 lives, most of them in Iran, raising fears that continued escalation could spiral into a wider and more destructive regional conflict.

Saudi Arabia has issued a sharp warning to Iran, signaling it may launch retaliatory military action following attacks on key energy infrastructure within its territory.

Speaking after a high-level Gulf foreign ministers’ meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the kingdom “reserves the right” to respond forcefully if such attacks continue.

He urged Tehran to “review its misjudgements,” stressing that escalating aggression would yield no strategic advantage.

The warning comes after Iranian strikes reportedly hit two petroleum refineries in the Saudi capital, intensifying fears of a broader regional conflict tied to the ongoing confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Al Saud criticized Iran’s regional posture, accusing it of refusing dialogue and instead attempting to pressure neighboring states through force.

He warned that such tactics would ultimately “backfire politically and morally.”

The escalation follows Iran’s earlier threats to target Gulf energy infrastructure in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes on its own gas facilities. Those threats appear to have materialized across multiple countries.

In Qatar, missiles struck the Ras Laffan Industrial City—one of the world’s largest gas processing hubs—causing significant fires and damage. Authorities had evacuated the facility in advance after intelligence warnings.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates shut down its Habshan gas complex in Abu Dhabi after it was also targeted in an Iranian strike.

Iran has defended its actions, arguing that Gulf nations hosting or supporting U.S. military operations effectively make themselves targets.

Tehran also appears to be using the attacks to pressure regional governments into pushing Washington toward a ceasefire.

So far, Gulf countries have limited their response to defensive measures.

However, Saudi Arabia’s latest stance marks a notable shift, suggesting growing frustration—and a possible pivot toward direct retaliation.

Despite the tough rhetoric, Al Saud indicated that diplomacy remains the preferred path, even as tensions continue to rise across the region.

The broader conflict involving the U.S, Israel, and Iran has already resulted in over 1,500 deaths, most of them in Iran, underscoring the high stakes of any further escalation.