In a statement, the United States Department of State said Rubio expressed “gratitude” to the KRG for enabling oil from Iraq, including from the Kurdistan region, to reach international markets at a time when global prices have been unsettled by the conflict.

Rubio also conveyed condolences to families of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters killed in a March 24 missile attack and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. Kurdish authorities said at least six fighters were killed and about 30 wounded when missiles struck a military base north of Irbil.

A Peshmerga statement attributed the attack to Iran, describing it as a “treacherous attack” involving ballistic missiles targeting a headquarters facility in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Iran war, which began on February 28 following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, has widened into a broader regional confrontation. Tehran has since launched retaliatory attacks on Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. bases, while Israeli strikes have extended into Lebanon.

The escalation has rattled global markets, particularly oil, as supply routes and production hubs face heightened risk.Policy signals from WashingtonU.S.

President Donald Trump has offered varying objectives for the conflict, ranging from regime change in Iran to degrading its military and missile capabilities.

On Thursday, he said he believed his side had prevailed in the war, even as hostilities and their economic fallout continue.

The call with Kurdish leadership highlights Washington’s focus on maintaining energy flows and regional partnerships amid ongoing instability.

In a social media post, Trump said the United States would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power infrastructure if the strait was not “fully open, without threat” within the deadline, broadening the potential scope of U.S. military action to include civilian-linked facilities.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime corridor through which roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Ongoing threats and disruptions have deterred shipping traffic, with the near-blockade triggering a surge in European gas prices of up to 35% last week.Energy markets have remained volatile as the risk to Gulf infrastructure intensifies.

The situation worsened after Iran responded to an Israeli strike on one of its major gas fields by targeting Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, a key hub processing a significant share of the world’s liquefied natural gas. Damage from the strike is expected to take years to repair, according to reports.

Iran warns of broader retaliationIran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters said on Sunday that any U.S. attack on its fuel and energy infrastructure would prompt retaliatory strikes on American energy, information technology and desalination assets across the region.

The exchange of threats underscores a widening confrontation that increasingly targets economic and civilian-linked infrastructure, raising the stakes for regional stability and global supply chains.Israeli officials said Iran had fired long-range missiles for the first time since hostilities intensified on February 28, expanding the potential reach of the conflict.

According to Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir, Iran launched two ballistic missiles with a range of about 4,000 km at the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.Zamir said the missiles’ range extended beyond the Middle East, placing European capitals within potential reach.

A source at Britain’s defense ministry said the attack occurred before London granted specific authorization on Friday for the United States to use British bases for strikes on Iranian missile sites.

The developments mark a significant expansion in both the geographic scope and strategic targets of the conflict, with direct implications for international energy flows and military alignments.