Francisco Palmares
Reporter
A barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles struck the Tel Aviv metropolitan area early Wednesday, March 18, 2026, killing two civilians and marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing regional conflict.
Iran's naval forces have effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which 21% of the world's oil passes, sending crude prices to 14-year highs and triggering emergency talks in Washington, London, and Beijing.
Equity markets from Tokyo to New York cratered Tuesday as the Iran-Israel conflict's disruption of Middle East oil shipments stoked recession fears and sent inflation expectations to multi-decade highs.
PAGASA has raised Signal No. 4 over Eastern Samar and Signal No. 3 over nine other provinces as Rosita's maximum sustained winds accelerated to 250 kph, rivaling 2013's Yolanda in intensity.
