Modi speaks to Netherlands PM, discusses bilateral ties and West Asia situation

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Netherlands Prime Minister Rob Jetten on Monday, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations and addressing the evolving situation in West Asia. During the call, the two leaders reviewed the growing partnership between India and the Netherlands and explored ways to expand cooperation in key sectors such as semiconductors, green hydrogen, water management, and skilled workforce mobility....more

Iran’s IRGC claims attacks on UAE, Bahrain aluminium facilities

TEHRAN, Mar 29: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said it carried out missile and drone attacks on aluminium facilities in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB overnight on Sunday, the IRGC claimed the sites targeted on Saturday were linked to the United States military.

Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) said in a statement that two employees were injured in the attack on its facility, while the UAE’s Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) said one of its sites in Abu Dhabi suffered significant damage, and six people were injured.

The strikes were retaliation for a US-Israeli attack on Iranian industrial infrastructure launched from military bases hosting US forces in the Gulf states, the IRGC said.

“The significance of this is that of the global aluminium supply, estimates are that between 4 to 9 percent comes from this region … this certainly threatens global supply.”

Since the Middle East war erupted at the end of February, Bahrain and other Gulf countries have regularly been targeted by Iranian missile and drone strikes, with the US-Israel war on Iran now in its fifth week.

Elsewhere, a worker in Oman was ⁠injured in a ⁠drone attack on Saturday at the Gulf country’s Salalah port, while Danish container shipping group ⁠Maersk said ⁠later that it temporarily halted its operations at ‌the port following the assault.

Oman’s Foreign ⁠Ministry on Sunday ⁠condemned the attacks ⁠on its territory, adding ⁠that no party had claimed responsibility.

It said authorities were investigating the ‌attacks’ “sources and motives” without providing further details.

Saudi Arabia’s air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 10 drones over the past hours, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Sunday morning. It did not disclose where the interceptions took place.

Also, the Kuwaiti National Guard says it shot down four drones after air raid sirens sounded in the Gulf nation for a second time within hours.

Pakistan Hosts Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt For Talks On Mideast War

ISLAMABAD, Mar 29: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey on Sunday held talks about trying to end the war in the Middle East, as Islamabad acts as a go-between between the United States and Iran.

The four-way meeting between the top diplomats of the Muslim nations lasted several hours in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the United States as their war drags on, relaying messages between the two sides.

Iran Parliament Speaker Says US Plots Ground Attack Despite Diplomatic Efforts

TEHRAN, Mar 29: Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday that the United States was plotting a ground attack despite publicly engaging in diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war.

"The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack," Ghalibaf said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

North Korea conducts engine test for missile capable of targeting U.S. mainland

PYONGYANG, Mar 29: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed a test of a high-thrust, solid-fuel engine test and hailed it as a development to boost the country's strategic military capability, state media reported on Sunday.

The test likely indicates Kim is intent on enlarging and modernising an arsenal of missiles capable of reaching the United States mainland.

The report on Sunday from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) came days after Kim delivered a speech at North Korea's Parliament pledging to irreversibly cement his country's status as a nuclear power and accusing the U.S. of global “state terrorism and aggression,” in an apparent reference to the war in the West Asia.

Kim watched the ground jet test of the newly upgraded engine using a composite carbon fibre material, according to the KCNA, which reported the engine's maximum thrust is 2,500 kilotons, up from about 1,971 kilotons reported in a similar solid fuel engine test in September.

A push to increase the engine power is likely associated with efforts to place multiple warheads on a single missile to increase chances of defeating US defences, observers say.

The KCNA did not report exactly when or where the test occurred.

The test was conducted as part of the country's five-year military escalation program. The plan's objectives include upgrading “strategic strike means,” the KCNA reported.

The reference is understood to mean nuclear-capable, intercontinental ballistic missiles targeting the continental U.S..

Kim said the latest engine test had “great significance in putting the country's strategic military muscle on the highest level,” the KCNA reported.

In recent years, North Korea has test-fired a variety of ICBMs demonstrating the potential range to reach the US mainland, including missiles with solid propellants that make detection prior to liftoff more difficult.

The country's older liquid-fuel missiles must be fuelled before liftoffs and cannot last long.

US loses key E-3 Sentry after Iran targets base in Saudi: Top points on $300 million AWACS aircraft

WASHINGTON, Mar 29: The United States recorded another major loss after Iran launched a missile attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia earlier this week. As per media reports, an E-3 Sentry aircraft, which is worth roughly $300 million, was destroyed.

The incident, which was first reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine, said that at least 10 service members were injured in the Iranian attack, which took place on March 27.

While a statement from US Central Command is awaited, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported the incident, citing people familiar with the matter. Unverified images of the alleged missile strike have also been circulated on social media, which show the Boeing E-3 rendered unusable.

The E-3 Sentry is an American airborne early warning and control aircraft developed by Boeing. E-3 aircraft are also commonly known as AWACS - Airborne Warning and Control System.

As per Bloomberg, the plane has a rotating radar disc mounted above its fuselage, which is used to spot distant threats and direct other combat aircraft. The sentry also provides a powerful advantage during combat.

“As an air defense system, E-3s can detect, identify and track airborne enemy forces far from the boundaries of the United States or NATO countries. It can direct fighter-interceptor aircraft to these enemy targets," says the official US Air Force website.

The E-3 sentry is one of the most widely used AWACS aircraft and has also been exported to the UK, Saudi Arabia and France.

“The loss of this E-3 is incredibly problematic, given how crucial these battle managers are to everything from airspace deconfliction, aircraft deconfliction, targeting, and providing other lethal effects that the entire force needs for the battle space,” Heather Penney, a former F-16 pilot and director of studies and research at AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Peter Layton, a former Royal Australian Air Force officer and a visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, also stated that the loss of an E-3 Sentry is a "big deal".

“It highlights that large aircraft are vulnerable on the ground and need active defense. That is hard to do all the time, sometimes it fails," Layton told Bloomberg.

New Front In Middle East War As Yemen's Houthis Launches Missile At Israel

SANAA, Mar 28: Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed their first strike on Israel since the start of the Middle East war a month ago, after the Israeli military said it was intercepting an attack.

The attack came after the Yemeni group had threatened to join the regional war if its ally, Tehran continued to be attacked or if more countries joined the conflict.

In a video statement posted on X, spokesman Yahya Saree said the group, which controls most of northern Yemen and targeted Israel with drones and missiles throughout much of the Gaza war, had launched ballistic missiles at Israeli military sites.

A few hours earlier, the Israeli military said in a statement it had "identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defence systems are operating to intercept the threat".

There were no reports of any casualties or damage in Israel, and media reports suggested the missile may have been intercepted.

The Houthis also attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the Gaza war, saying they were acting in solidarity with the Palestinians, but have so far refrained from doing so in the latest war.

"We affirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention," the group said in a statement on Friday, warning that it would act if other nations joined the US-Israeli fight or if the Red Sea was used for "hostile operations".

The Red Sea has become increasingly important during the US-Israeli war with Iran, as Saudi Arabia has diverted a large proportion of its oil exports to the port of Yanbu, with Iran having all but closed the Strait of Hormuz and cut off the Gulf.

Kuwait airport hit, US Army 'hideouts' in Dubai targeted

TEHRAN, Mar 28: The Iran war took a dangerous new turn as strikes hit Kuwait and the wider Gulf region, signalling a sharp escalation just hours after Iranian leadership warned of expanding retaliation against US-linked targets.

Iran launched attacks on Kuwait’s key infrastructure, including its international airport, where the radar system was heavily damaged in a drone strike. Kuwaiti authorities said there were no casualties, but the incident underscored the vulnerability of critical Gulf assets as the conflict widens.

The IRGC also claimed it attacked two "hideouts" in Dubai where US troops were based, using missiles and drones. It claimed more than 500 American soldiers were present at these locations.

The strikes came amid broader fears that commercial and military hubs across the Gulf, including Dubai-linked infrastructure, could be at risk as Iran expands its aerial campaign beyond immediate conflict zones.

The escalation is already disrupting global trade routes.

Danish shipping giant Maersk said operations at Oman’s Port of Salalah were halted after a drone strike injured a foreign worker and damaged a crane. The company said the facility was evacuated and would remain shut for at least 48 hours.

Iran, meanwhile, said it had targeted a US logistics vessel “at a considerable distance from the port”.

Concerns over maritime safety continue to grow, with countries scrambling to secure shipping lanes. Indonesia confirmed it is in talks with Iran to ensure safe passage for its tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran responding positively to the request.

The conflict continues to expand geographically. Journalists reported hearing two blasts over Jerusalem after the Israeli military said it had detected incoming Iranian missiles. The development came shortly after Israel carried out a fresh wave of strikes across Tehran.

Iranian media said US-Israeli attacks hit residential areas overnight, killing more than a dozen people.

Even as violence intensifies, diplomatic efforts continue in parallel.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts, as Islamabad prepares to host foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey for talks aimed at de-escalation.

Separately, Qatar and Ukraine signed a defence agreement focused on countering missile and drone threats.

“The agreement includes collaboration in technological fields, development of joint investments and the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems,” Qatar’s defence ministry said in a statement during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit.

The conflict is also being fought through competing narratives. Kyiv rejected Iran’s claim that it had destroyed a Ukrainian anti-drone system depot in the United Arab Emirates, calling it a “lie” and “disinformation.”

Meanwhile, tensions spilled into Lebanon, where President Joseph Aoun condemned an Israeli strike that killed three journalists as “a blatant crime”.

The Israeli military said one of the journalists was a “terrorist in the intelligence unit of Hezbollah's Radwan Force”.

The ripple effects of the war are also being felt within Gulf societies.

Bahrain denied accusations that it was targeting Shia citizens after rights groups reported over 200 arrests, most of them from the Shia community, since the conflict began.

From damaged airports in Kuwait to halted ports in Oman and missile exchanges over Jerusalem, the conflict is no longer confined to isolated theatres.

With energy routes under threat, diplomacy struggling to gain traction, and multiple countries now directly or indirectly involved, the Iran war is rapidly evolving into a broader regional crisis with global economic and security implications.

G7 foreign ministers stress “absolute necessity” of a "toll-free" Strait of Hormuz

PARIS, Mar 27: G7 foreign ministers on Friday stressed “the absolute necessity to permanently restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz” as Iran continues to throttle the key waterway.

In a statement issued after a meeting in France, the G7 foreign ministers also called for “an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure if Iran does not reopen the Strait, but on Thursday he again pushed back his self-imposed deadline until April 6.

Allies have expressed openness to contributing to efforts to help ensure the Strait remains open but have been maintained that there must de-escalation first. Iran has reportedly sought to pass legislation to impose tolls on vessels transiting the waterway.

“We underscored the importance of minimizing the impact of the conflict on regional partners and civilian populations, critical infrastructure - and the need to coordinate humanitarian aid efforts,” the statement said.

“We focused on the value of diverse partnerships, coordination, and supporting initiatives, including to mitigate global economic shocks such as disruptions to economic, energy, fertilizer and commercial supply chains, which have direct impacts on our citizens,” it said.

Iran's Arak nuclear facility targeted in attack, state media says

TEHRAN, Mar 27: Iran’s Arak nuclear facility has been targeted in an attack, Iranian officials said Friday evening, according to Iranian state media Fars News.

An official in Iran’s Markazi Province claimed the attack was carried out by US and Israeli forces, adding there were no casualties due to prior safety measures.

The reported attack comes shortly after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to Iranian civilians located northwest of the city of Arak and in the Khir Abad Industrial Zone, which are areas near the nuclear facility. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement on X in Farsi warning civilians that it would strike Iranian military infrastructure in the area, without specifying exact targets.

Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor was still under construction as of last year, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The plans for its construction previously raised concerns in Israel and in the West, because heavy water can be used to produce plutonium – a pathway to a potential nuclear bomb. Under the now-defunct Iran nuclear deal, Tehran had agreed in 2015 to modify the facility’s construction plans to close off the plutonium path.

Last June, Israel hit the still-under-construction reactor at the Arak complex during its 12-day war with Iran. At the time, the IAEA said the reactor was not operational and did not contain any nuclear material.

Jaishankar Calls for UN Reforms, Raises Global South Issues at G7 Meet in France

PARIS, Mar 27: India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar highlighted the urgency of UNSC reforms, streamlining peacekeeping operations, and strengthening humanitarian supply chains at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (G7 FMM) session yesterday.

The G7 FMM is being held at Abbaye des-Vaux-de-Cernay in France. Dr Jaishankar said in a social media post that he spoke about reform of global governance. He specifically raised the Global South’s concerns about energy challenges, fertiliser supplies and food security.

The External Affairs Minister is on a two-day visit to France to attend the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Jaishankar arrived in France on a two-day visit to represent India as a partner country at the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the G7 (Group of Seven) advanced economies. The Minister held bilateral talks with his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot in Abbaye des-Vaux-de-Cernay on Thursday, which included an “in depth” discussion on West Asia as per the French government’s readout of the meeting.

The two Ministers “agreed to continue their close coordination with a view to working jointly towards ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz,” the readout said. The meeting comes just after Israel claimed to have killed Iranian commander Alireza Tangsiri, who Israel said was directly responsible for the closing of the Strait.

The participation of Jaishankar in the G7 meetings signified “the importance France attaches to closely associating India — currently holding the BRICS presidency — with its G7 presidency”, the French government said.

The Ministers welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the G7 Summit, scheduled for June 15-17 in Évian, France and underscored India’s contribution to the G7’s work on addressing major macroeconomic imbalances and improving international partnerships, as per the readout.

Front and centre of the G7 agenda this week is the war in Iran and its impact on global energy and stock markets. Discussions on the Russia-Ukraine war and the reform of multilateralism are also on the cards.

“We will work to bring about a new international order and to build a more balanced and fairer system, underpinned by a renewed multilateralism. Reforming global governance and combatting cross-cutting threats require a collective commitment which extends beyond G7 members alone,” Barrot said in a statement.

The first session on Thursday, on reforming global governance, involved G7 partner countries India, South Korea, Brazil and Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, was also invited as was the European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) President Odile Renaud-Basso.

At the session on global governance, Jaishankar emphasised the urgency of UN Security Council reforms. India and several other countries have been seeking a permanent seat on the body.

The Minister also raised energy challenges and concerns around fertilizer supplies and food security impacting the Global South.

Friday’s session on Iran will only be for G7 countries and the session on Ukraine will be in the G7 and Ukraine format.

The Iran session will discuss negotiations around the war in West Asia, the safety of civilians, the opening of maritime and trade routes and the cessation of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes as per an agenda document.

There is also a G7 and EU discussion on “peace and security” that will include discussions on Iran, West Asia, crises in Cuba, Venezuela and Ukraine.

Jaishankar also met bilaterally with the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Japan and South Korea. With Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand , talks focused on advancing the bilateral agenda and discussed developments in West Asia, Jaishankar said on social media site X.

Balendra Shah takes oath as Nepal’s Prime Minister

KATHMANDU, Mar 27: Balendra Shah on Friday (March 27, 2026) became Nepal’s new Prime Minister, the youngest in the country’s recent political history at 35.

Shah, popularly known as Balen, was sworn in by President Ram Chandra Poudel at a ceremony in Kathmandu, marking an end to the transition triggered by last September’s Gen Z protests, which overthrew the K.P. Sharma Oli government and installed an interim dispensation led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki.

Shah won the March 5 elections on the ticket of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which secured close to a two-thirds majority, defeating Mr. Oli in the latter’s home turf.

Often termed a “former rapper” or “rapper-turned-politician,” Shah, also a structural engineer by training, reaffirmed his rapper identity by releasing his latest song on Thursday evening, hours after his oath as a Member of Parliament and a day before his swearing-in as Prime Minister.

“Jay Mahakali out now :)” Balen wrote on X, sharing the YouTube video of his new song. The song, comprising clips from his election campaign, carries nationalist fervour, with lyrics saying: “undivided Nepali… history is being made.” The video racked up more than three million views in less than 24 hours.

Expectations are already high among Nepalis who voted for the RSP — and especially Balen — with the hope of change. Analysts say Nepal is once again on the cusp of a massive transformation if things go well, but caution that the entrenched system and patronage-fuelled culture could continue to hinder efforts.

Iran Naval Commander Alireza Tangsiri Overseeing Hormuz Blockade Killed: Israel

JERUSALEM, Mar 26: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval commander Alireza Tangsiri has been killed in a US-Israeli strike in the coastal area of Bandar Abbas, Israeli media reported, citing an Israeli official. Tangsiri was responsible for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Times of Israel report.

There has been no comment yet from Iran or from the Israeli military on the strike. If confirmed, this would mark the latest high-profile casualty in the war that's now in its fourth week.

Tangsiri was one of the few big names who had survived US-Israeli assassination attempts so far. An experienced commander in place since 2018, he has played a significant part in Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States on Thursday ⁠confirmed the ‌death of ‌Iranian ‌Islamic ⁠Revolutionary Guard ⁠Corps — Navy commander ‌Admiral Alireza Tangsiri from ‌an Israeli airstrike, according to ⁠a post ‌on X from U.S. ‌Central Command.

Defence Minister Israel Katz also announced on Thursday that an Israeli airstrike had killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy.

Katz said Tangsiri’ had been killed along with other senior naval commanders in a strike overnight.

India among five nations granted passage through Strait of Hormuz by Tehran

TEHRAN, Mar 26: Iran allowed India and a number of other "friendly nations" including China and Russia to use the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said.

Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20% of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).

West Asia has been a major source of India's energy procurement.

"We have permitted certain countries that we consider friendly to pass through (Strait of Hormuz). We allowed China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan to transit," Araghchi said, according to Iranian State TV.

At the same time, the Iranian Foreign Minister made it clear that ships linked to Iran's adversaries will not be allowed to transit through the strategic waterway.

"We are in a state of war. The region is a war zone, and there is no reason to allow the ships of our enemies and their allies to pass through. But it remains open to others," he said.

There have been growing global concerns over disruptions in commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with US President Donald Trump warning Iran of severe consequences if it does not fully reopen the waterway.

In the last couple of weeks, India has made diplomatic efforts focused on ending the conflict in West Asia as soon as possible and ensuring the unimpeded flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz.

New Delhi thinks there could be serious ramifications for fuel and fertiliser security for many countries including India if the blockade of the shipping lane continues.

Pakistan says 'U.S.-Iran indirect talks are taking place'

ISLAMABAD, Mar 26: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed on Thursday that indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran were being held to end their war, using Islamabad as an intermediary.

Dar, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, described speculation about “peace talks” as “unnecessary”, adding: “In reality, U.S.-Iran indirect talks are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan.

“In this context, the United States has shared 15 points, being deliberated upon by Iran. Brotherly countries of Turkiye and Egypt, among others, are also extending their support to this initiative,” he wrote on X.

French Armed forces chief held video call with 35 countries on Hormuz Strait

PARIS, Mar 26: France’s Armed forces chief held ‌a video conference call with ⁠35 countries, from all continents, over ways ‌to re-open the Strait ‌of Hormuz, ‌France’s Defence ⁠Ministry said ⁠on Thursday.

The Ministry did not disclose which ‌countries in particular had joined the call.

“This initiative, ‌independent of the ongoing military operations in the ⁠region, is strictly defensive ‌in nature. Its purpose is to organise the resumption of shipping ‌through the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities have ⁠ceased,” it said ⁠in a statement.

We are keen to see de-escalation: British envoy Lindy Cameron on West Asia situation

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron on Thursday said the U.K. is keen to see “de-escalation” in West Asia and eventually the conflict come to an end besides the resumption of oil flow in order to ensure it does not have a detrimental impact on its economy.

At an interactive session hosted at an event, she also said the U.K., however, is “supportive of defensive action to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, which is prolonging the conflict and causing damage to allies and people in the region”.

Ms. Cameron, who has been the British High Commissioner to India since April 2024, spoke at the Times Now Summit 2026.

Asked how the U.K. is looking at the West Asia conflict that began nearly four weeks ago and its impact, she said, “We are keen to see de-escalation. We are also worried about the impact on some of our allies in the wider Gulf, and I am sure you are too. And we would like to see this end, frankly, and be able to move again so that the oil price doesn’t rise,” Ms. Cameron said.

Iran Rejects US Proposal On Ending War, Lays Down 5 Conditions: Report

TEHRAN, Mar 25: Iran has rejected the United States' proposal to end the war and said that it will "end the war" on its own terms. A senior Iranian official with knowledge about the details of the proposal spoke to Press TV and called Washington's proposal "excessive".

"Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met," the official said. Iran intends to continue with its defence against the US and has vowed to inflict "heavy blows" till its conditions are fulfilled.

The official highlighted how the US deceived Iran during negotiations twice in the past and said that in both cases Washington did not have any genuine intention of engaging in meaningful dialogue. Citing the two instances of military aggression against the country, Tehran said that it has responded negatively to the latest overture.

The Islamic Republic laid out five conditions under which Iran would consider ending the war.

1. A complete end to the US and Israel's "aggression and assassinations".

2. Putting concrete safeguards in place to prevent any future military action against the Islamic Republic.

3. Clear and guaranteed compensation for losses and damages caused by the war.

4. Ending the war on all fronts and for every resistance group active across the region.

5. Iran maintains that its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz is a longstanding legal right, one that guarantees the other party's commitments and must be formally recognised.

These conditions are in addition to those proposed to the US during the second round of talks in Geneva, days before America and Israel launched strikes on February 28, killing the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top-ranking military and government officials.

Iran noted that the ceasefire will depend on whether the conditions are accepted.

"No negotiations will be held prior to that," the official stated.

Earlier, two officials from Pakistan described the 15-point US proposal broadly, saying it addressed sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran's nuclear programme, limits on missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is shipped.

An Egyptian official involved in the mediation efforts said the proposal also includes restrictions on Iran's support for armed groups. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet released, according to reports.

Iran's attacks on regional energy infrastructure along with its restrictions on the strait have sent oil prices skyrocketing and sparked fears of a global energy crisis, in turn putting pressure on the US to find a way to end the chokehold and calm markets.

A big driver of the spike in the oil price has been Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has allowed a small number of ships through the strait but has said no ships from the US, Israel or countries seen as linked to them can pass.

Iran's death count has passed 1,500, its Health Ministry has said. Israel says 20 people have died in the war, including two soldiers in Lebanon. At least 13 US military members have been killed, along with more than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states.

UK court rejects Nirav Modi's plea to reopen extradition case

LONDON, Mar 25: The High Court of Justice in London on Wednesday refused to reopen fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s extradition case, in a verdict that appears to exhaust his last legal avenue in the United Kingdom and potentially clearing the path for his return to India after more than seven years in British custody.

The ruling hinged on assurances from the Indian government — delivered in September 2025, December 2025, and through a note verbale from the Indian High Commission in London in February 2026 — that Modi will not be interrogated by any of the five investigating agencies handling his cases. The assurances proved crucial — Modi had sought to reopen his extradition by citing the case of defence consultant Sanjay Bhandari, whose extradition was blocked by a UK court last year on human rights grounds, arguing that the same risk of torture applied to him.

Without the government’s pledges, the court said, it would have been minded to reopen the appeal.

The bench of Lord Justice Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Justice Robert Jay found the assurances “specific and not general and vague,” given by a ministry of home affairs official competent to bind the government of India, the state of Maharashtra, and all five agencies. The assurances had been given “in good faith and with the intention that they should be binding,” the judges said, adding that they had “not been given with an eye to wriggling out of them.”

But the judgment made clear how close the outcome had been. The court acknowledged that the Bhandari ruling presented a “worrying picture” of the use of proscribed treatment to obtain confessions, which it characterised as “commonplace and endemic.”

The CBI, which has been pursuing Modi’s extradition since 2018, said its investigating officers had travelled to London to assist the Crown Prosecution Service in countering Modi’s application. The agency on Wednesday said the challenge posed by the Bhandari judgment had been “successfully overcome” through “sustained and coordinated efforts.”

Separately on Wednesday, Modi turned up at a London court hearing a plea filed by Bank of India seeking to encash a personal guarantee given by the fugitive tied to a multimillion-dollar lending facility.

India did not contest that the Bhandari findings applied to Modi, resting its case entirely on the quality of the assurances, the order noted as the court accepted this approach. It stated that the bilateral relationship between the UK and India, the high-profile nature of the case, and Modi’s guaranteed daily access to lawyers and a medical team under previous assurances all weighed in India’s favour — even though the new assurances will not be formally monitored. The court also observed that while India is not a signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture, it was satisfied that torture is not permitted under Indian law.

Jaishankar speaks with US' secretary Rubio on West Asia conflict

NEW DELHI, Mar 23: External affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, and met the envoys of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Monday to discuss the fallout of the West Asia conflict amid growing concerns about the impact on India's food, fuel and fertiliser security.

Jaishankar said on social media that he had a detailed phone conversation with Rubio that “focused on the West Asia conflict and its impact on the international economy”. He added: “We particularly spoke about energy security concerns. Agreed to remain in touch.”

There was no official readout on the phone conversation or the meeting with envoys of the GCC states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Jaishankar said on social media that he and the six ambassadors had “exchanged views on the conflict in West Asia”.

“Thanked them for their continued support to the Indian community in the region,” he said.

The meeting came a day after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security decided on a range of measures to cope with the economic and security implications of the war triggered by Israel and the US’s military strikes on Iran last month. The measures especially focused on ensuring the country’s immediate and long-term food, fuel and fertiliser security.

The Indian government has also stepped up efforts to ensure the security and well-being of 10 million Indians living in West Asian countries.

Besides, the envoys of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the meeting was also attended by the ambassadors of Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Saudi Arabia and the UAE alone are home to eight million Indians.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar spoke to his Sri Lankan counterpart Vijitha Herath. “Discussed the repercussions of the West Asia conflict,” Jaishankar said on social media without giving details. “India stands committed to #NeighbourhoodFirst and #VisionMAHASAGAR,” he added.

Sri Lanka is among India's neighbours that have sought additional fuel supplies from New Delhi to cope with an energy crisis triggered by the West Asia conflict. The Indian side has said it is examining these requests and a decision will be made after assessing the availability of fuel stocks and domestic demand.

Jaishankar said in yet another social media post that he had also spoken to his German counterpart Johann Wadephul on Sunday night regarding the West Asia conflict.

‘Israel is fighting for you all’: Netanyahu urges global action as he visits missile strike site in Arad

TEL AVIV, Mar 22: After two Iranian missiles struck southern Israel overnight, bypassing air defences and causing widespread damage, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the impact site in Arad on Sunday.

“I am here in Arad, no one was killed,” Netanyahu said. He pointed to the damage around him and highlighted the narrow window residents had to seek safety. “If you are in the protected spaces, you are protected,” he said, urging people to act immediately when sirens sound.

He further criticised Iran’s actions and said, “Iran has proven… that it is the enemy of civilization and a danger to the free world," accusing it of targeting civilians and attempting to pressure global powers.

Appealing to international leaders, Netanyahu added, “What are you waiting for? Israel is fighting not only for itself, but for all of you.”

Parts of the apartment block were destroyed, and at least eight buildings in the area were damaged. Emergency teams moved through the debris, carrying out search and rescue operations floor by floor, news agency Reuters reported.

Visuals from the scene showed flames engulfing the upper levels of a residential building shortly after the strike.

In Arad alone, 31 people were hospitalised, including 18 children. At least nine of them were reported to be in serious condition, while many others sustained minor injuries. In nearby Dimona, which was also hit, five people were taken to hospital, including a 12-year-old boy in serious condition.

Israeli authorities said the missiles used were conventional ballistic weapons.

The attack has intensified concerns in areas close to key installations. Both Arad and Dimona are located near sensitive sites, including a nuclear reactor and major military bases such as Nevatim Air Base.

For residents, the incident unfolded in a familiar pattern, alerts on mobile phones followed by air raid sirens, leaving only minutes to seek shelter.

Israel has faced sustained missile fire since joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Reportedly, at least 20 civilians have been killed in Israel and the Palestinian territories during this period, alongside fresh injuries reported from ongoing attacks.

While Israel has accused Iran of targeting civilian areas, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have maintained that their strikes are aimed at military and security-related sites in response to Israeli actions.

Modi Speaks To Iran President, Stresses On Opening Hormuz Shipping Lanes

NEW DELHI, Mar 21: As Iran continues its chokehold on the vital Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the country's President, Masoud Pezeshkian, and reaffirmed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation.

Following attacks by Israel on Iran's largest gas field, South Pars, and retaliatory strikes, including on Qatar's key Ras Laffan LNG complex, the Prime Minister also spoke out against the targeting of critical infrastructure, emphasising that it threatens stability and disrupts crucial supply chains.

In a post on X on Saturday, Modi wrote, "Spoke with President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian and conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings. We expressed hope that this festive season brings peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia. Condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains."

"Reiterated the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes remain open and secure," he said, adding that he appreciated Iran's continued support for the safety and security of Indians in the country.

In call with Modi, Iranian President proposes West Asia security framework, seeks BRICS role

TEHRAN, Mar 21: Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation on Saturday, discussing bilateral relations and regional and international developments amid ongoing tensions in West Asia.

Pezeshkian said, “Iran did not initiate the war.” He added that "the aggressor, without any justification, logic, or legal basis, launched military attacks against Iran during ongoing nuclear negotiations, resulting in the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, senior military commanders, and a number of defenceless civilians, including innocent schoolchildren, as well as targeting public infrastructure."

He stated, "The US targeted the school in Minab from bases located in neighbouring countries hosting US military installations, leading to the tragic martyrdom of 168 innocent schoolchildren."

Rejecting US claims, he said the justification was misplaced and noted that “in multiple meetings attended by the Supreme Leader, the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution had firmly opposed nuclear weapons and had issued both administrative and religious directives prohibiting any move toward their development.”

Pezeshkian also said, "It is Israel that carries out attacks and assassinations in Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, and elsewhere, justifying such actions under the pretext of maintaining security and peace, while in reality fueling unrest and conflict across the region."

On engagement, he said Iran is ready for “telephone and in-person dialogues with world leaders, including on the sidelines of the UN, for the purpose of verification and acceptance of oversight over its peaceful nuclear activities." He described the actions of the U.S and Israel as “profoundly inhumane and unethical."

He proposed “the establishment of a regional security framework composed of countries of West Asia, aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region through regional cooperation without foreign interference,” and said “a prerequisite for ending the war and conflict in the region is the immediate cessation of aggressions by the US and Israel, along with guarantees against their recurrence in the future.”

Referring to India’s BRICS presidency, he called for the grouping to “play an independent role in halting aggressions against Iran and in safeguarding regional and international peace and stability."

22 countries urge Iran to cease attacks, reopen the Strait of Hormuz

LONDON, Mar 21: Twenty-two countries on Saturday urged Iran to cease attacks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.

Countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea and Australia have condemned Iran's attacks on commercial vessels as well as oil and gas facilities in the region.

"The effects of Iran's actions will be felt by people in all parts of the world, especially the most vulnerable," they said in a joint statement Saturday.

Iran’s IRGC says spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini killed in US-Israeli attack

TEHRAN, Mar 20: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson has been killed in overnight strikes carried out jointly by the United States and Israel, the IRGC said, the latest in a mounting toll of senior officials assassinated since the war began.

Ali Mohammad Naini, a 68-year-old brigadier general who took up the IRGC spokesman role in 2024, “was martyred in the criminal cowardly terrorist attack by the American-Zionist side at dawn”, the IRGC said in a statement on Friday.

His death came just hours after he appeared on national television to insist that Iran retained full capacity to manufacture missiles, even under wartime conditions.

“Our missile industry deserves a perfect score … and there is no concern in this regard, because even under wartime conditions we continue missile production,” Naini was quoted by the Fars news agency as saying.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium and manufacture ballistic missiles”.

'Patience Is Limited': Saudi Threatens To Join Gulf War Amid Iran's Attacks

RIYADH, Mar 19: Amid Iran's continued attacks on the energy facilities of its Middle Eastern neighbours, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, has warned Tehran that tolerance of his country and other Gulf states is limited, saying the strikes are "a blatant attempt at blackmail".

Riyadh also called Tehran to immediately "recalculate" its strategy, saying Saudi Arabia and other neighbouring states have "very significant capacities and capabilities" that could be drawn on should they "choose to do so".

The threats came after Saudi Arabia on Thursday said it intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles that were launched towards Riyadh just before the regional and Islamic foreign ministers met in the Saudi capital.

"For me, it was clear that the attack today was timed with this meeting, in order to attempt to intimidate those present, to send out the message that Iran will not stop," Al Saud said, according to a report.

In the harshest comments to come out of the Gulf kingdom in nearly three weeks of war, Al Saud accused Iran of premeditated hostile actions against its neighbours, both directly and via an array of regional proxies, which he urged Tehran to rein in.

"The level of accuracy in some of this targeting -- you can see it in our neighbours as well as the kingdom -- indicates that this is something that was premeditated, preplanned, preorganised and well thought out," he said.

The Saudi leader stressed that the Gulf states are not "intimidated" by the Iranian attacks, saying, "We were not in any way convinced that Iran can be a legitimate partner when it behaves this way."

"What little trust there was has been completely shattered," he added.

Iran attacks wipe out 17% of Qatar’s LNG capacity for up to five years, QatarEnergy CEO says

DUBAI/DOHA, Mar 19: Iranian attacks ‌have knocked out 17% of Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, causing an estimated $20 billion in lost annual revenue and threatening supplies to Europe and Asia, said QatarEnergy's CEO and state minister for energy affairs on Thursday.

Saad al-Kaabi said two of Qatar's 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids (GTL) facilities were damaged in ​the unprecedented strikes. The repairs will sideline 12.8 million tons per year of LNG for three to five years, he said.

"I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that Qatar would be - Qatar and the region - ⁠in such an attack, especially from a brotherly Muslim country in the month of Ramadan, attacking us in this way," Kaabi said.

Hours earlier ​Iran had aimed a series of attacks at Gulf oil and gas facilities after Israeli attacks on its own gas infrastructure.

State-owned QatarEnergy will have to ​declare force majeure on long-term contracts for up to five years for LNG supplies bound for Italy, Belgium, South Korea, and China due to the two damaged trains, Kaabi said.

"I mean, these are long-term contracts that we have to declare force majeure. We already declared, but that was a shorter term. Now it's whatever the period ​is," he said.

QatarEnergy had declared force majeure on its entire output of LNG, after earlier attacks on its Ras Laffan production ​hub, which came under fire again on Wednesday. "For production to restart, first we need hostilities to cease," he said.

Iran's intelligence minister Khatib killed, Iran confirms

TEHRAN, Mar 18: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed in a post on X that the country's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib had been killed.

Israel said earlier it had "eliminated" Khatib, with the Iranian regime also now acknowledging it.

Israel says it’s killed Iran’s security chief Larijani and Basij commander Soleimani

TEL AVIV, Mar 17: Israel has claimed to have killed Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and the commander of the internal Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, with no confirmation or denial by Iran so far.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz made the claim of Larijani’s death on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media published a handwritten note by Larijani, though it was not clear whether it was intended as proof of the life of the senior official. Larijani’s note, published on his social media pages, commemorates 84 Iranian sailors, whose funeral is expected on Tuesday, killed in a US attack on their naval ship in international waters.

If confirmed, Larijani would be the highest-level killing in the war since United States-Israeli strikes killed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several members of his family, on the first day of the war they launched on February 28.

Larijani was last seen publicly on Friday, attending the Al-Quds Day rally in support of Palestinians in Tehran, along with President Masoud Pezeshkian.

He has been a key political figure in the Iranian hierarchy for years, at one time leading the nation’s nuclear negotiations with the West. Previously, he was also the Iranian speaker of the parliament.

Apparently referring to the high-profile killing, Katz said, “The leaders of the regime are being killed and their capabilities terminated.”

“Our army is working with strength to continue to hit and terminate the missile capabilities as well as the strategic infrastructure,” he wrote on social media.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the alleged killing of Larijani was part of an effort to give Iranian a way to overthrow the government.

“This morning we eliminated Ali Larijani, the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, which is the gang of gangsters that actually runs Iran,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement.

He added that overthrowing clerical authorities “will not happen all at once, it will not happen easily. But if we persist in this — we will give them a chance to take their fate into their own hands.”

The Israeli military also claimed in a post on X on Tuesday that it had killed Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of Basij, the internal security paramilitary militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“Guided by precise intelligence from Military Intelligence, the Air Force conducted a targeted strike yesterday in the heart of Tehran, eliminating Gholam Reza Soleimani, commander of the Basij unit over the past six years,” it said.

Iran has not confirmed this claim either.

400 killed in Pak strike on Kabul hospital

KABUL, Mar 17: Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman on Tuesday said 400 people were killed after Pakistan airstrike at a treatment centre for drug addicts in the capital, Kabul. Loud explosions rocked the city at 9:00 pm local time on Monday, prompting return anti-aircraft fire and forcing locals to run for cover in panic as they were out and about after breaking their daily Ramadan fast.

Afghanistan Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said all parts of the drug treatment hospital had been destroyed.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Pakistan military has once again violated Afghanistan’s airspace and targeted a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. In a post on X, he said, “We strongly condemn this crime and consider such an act to be against all accepted principles and a crime against humanity.”

The latest attack comes hours after the two sides exchanged fire along the Pakistan-Afghan border, killing four people in Afghanistan, as the deadliest fighting between the neighbors in years entered a third week.

Israel Says It Killed Iran's Basij Force Chief In Tehran Strike

TEL AVIV, Mar 17: Israel said Tuesday it had killed the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' all-volunteer Basij force, a key force used to suppress demonstrations in the Islamic Republic, as Gulf Arab nations came under renewed missile and drone fire from Iran.

Dubai, a major transit hub for international travel, briefly shut its airspace as the military said it was "responding to incoming missile and drone threats" around the city, and a man was killed by the debris of a missile intercepted over Abu Dhabi.

The Israeli military also said early Tuesday it had begun a "wide-scale wave of strikes" across Iran's capital and was stepping up strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israel also reported two incoming salvos before dawn from Iran at Tel Aviv and elsewhere and said Hezbollah targeted Israel's north.

The Israeli military said a strike on Monday killed Basij head Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, but Iran did not immediately acknowledge the militia leader's death.

"The Basij forces are part of the armed apparatus of the Iranian terror regime," the Israeli military said in its statement. "During internal protests in Iran, particularly in recent periods as demonstrations intensified, Basij forces under Soleimani's command led the main repression operations, employing severe violence, widespread arrests and the use of force against civilian demonstrators."

The US Treasury lists Soleimani as having been born in 1965. He has been sanctioned by the US, the European Union and other nations over his role in helping suppress dissent for years through the Basij.

Since the war began on February 28, Israel has launched specific attacks targeting Iran's leadership, killing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other military commanders.

Killing Soleimani would likely further strain the command and control of the Basij, which would be crucial in putting down any uprising against the theocracy. The Basij and other internal security forces have been a target of attack by both the Americans and the Israelis so far.

Israeli military launches ‘ground operations’ in southern Lebanon

TEL AVIV, Mar 16: The Israeli military says its troops have launched ‘limited and targeted ground operations‘ in southern Lebanon as fighting against Hezbollah intensifies around the strategic southern town of Khiam.

At least three air strikes struck the city of Khiam, according to reports on Monday.

Khiam, a stronghold of Hezbollah, is strategically located and is seen as a gateway to southern Lebanon. The latest war started after Hezbollah fired rockets in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah had not attacked Israel since the 2024 ceasefire despite repeated Israeli violations of the United States-brokered deal.

On Monday morning, two Israeli air raids targeted the town of Yater. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Israel also launched raids on Burj Qalawiya, Sultaniya and Chaqra, also in southern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. Two raids were also conducted on the towns of Qantara and as-Sawana.

“In recent days, IDF troops from the 91st division have begun limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at enhancing the forward defence area,” the military said in a statement.

“This operation is part of the effort to establish the forward defence, which includes destroying terrorist infrastructure and eliminating terrorists,” it added.

Later Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated: “The IDF has begun a ground operation in Lebanon to eliminate threats and protect the residents of the Galilee and the North. The hundreds of thousands of Shiite [Shia] residents of southern Lebanon who have been and are being evacuated from their homes will not return to their homes south of the Litani River until the security of the residents of the North is guaranteed.”

India Flags 'Selective Targeting' After US Body Urges Sanctions On R&AW, RSS

NEW DELHI, Mar 16: The Centre on Monday responded strongly after a United States federal government commission recommended that India be designated a "Country of Particular Concern" for religious freedom violations and called for targeted sanctions on the external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

In response to the report, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have taken note of the latest report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). We categorically reject its motivated and biased characterisation of India. For several years now, USCIRF has persisted in presenting a distorted and selective picture of India, relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than objective facts."

"Such repeated misrepresentations only undermine the credibility of the Commission itself. Instead of persisting with selective criticism of India, USCIRF would do well to reflect on the disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the United States, which merit serious attention," he added.

The USCIRF made the recommendations in its 2026 Annual Report, which assesses conditions during 2025. The report urges the US government to designate India as a CPC for allegedly "engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations".

It proposes targeted sanctions on individuals and entities, including R&AW and the RSS, "for their responsibility and tolerance of severe violations of religious freedom" through measures such as freezing assets and barring entry into the United States.

The commission also recommended linking future US security assistance and bilateral trade policies with India to improvements in religious freedom.

It called on the US Congress to reintroduce and pass the Transnational Repression Reporting Act of 2024, which would require annual reporting on acts of transnational repression by the Indian government targeting religious minorities in the United States.

In its assessment of India, the report claimed that religious freedom conditions continued to deteriorate in 2025 as the government introduced and enforced new legislation targeting religious minority communities and their houses of worship. Several states undertook efforts to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion laws, including harsher prison sentences, the report claimed.

'I Am Dead... For Coffee': Netanyahu Responds To Death Rumours In New Video

TEL AVIV, Mar 15: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video on X after conspiracy theories circulated on social media claiming he had been killed in an Iranian strike.

In the clip, Netanyahu is seen ordering coffee at a cafe and joking about the rumours.

“I am dead… for coffee,” he said, using a Hebrew phrase that roughly translates to loving something to death. “You know what? I'm “dying” for my people. How they are behaving is fantastic,” he added.

During the video, Netanyahu also raises both hands and shows his fingers to the camera.

Earlier, some posts on social media had suggested that footage from his Thursday press conference showed him with six fingers on one hand and was generated using artificial intelligence

“Do you want to count my fingers? You can see them here… and here. See? Very nice,” Netanyahu said.

He added, "Continue to listen to Home Front Command instructions at all times—listen to Home Front Command and also to city mayors—to always be near a protected space. We will ease restrictions as much as possible. And thank you for the coffee, it's excellent. I don't know about the calories… it looks like…”

North Korea Tests Nuclear-Capable Rocket Launchers With Kim, Daughter In Attendance

PYONGYANG, Mar 15: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday oversaw the test-launch of 12 600mm-calibre multiple rocket launchers, state media KCNA said, after the United States and South Korea this week launched annual major drills in South Korea.

He said the drill would expose "the enemies within the 420-km striking range, to uneasiness" and "give them a deep understanding of the destructive power of tactical nuclear weapons.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday oversaw the test-launch of 12 600mm-calibre multiple rocket launchers, state media KCNA said, after the United States and South Korea this week launched annual major drills in South Korea.

"The launched rockets battered the island target in the East Sea of Korea about 364.4 km away with the accuracy of 100 percent," KCNA said.

South Korea's military said on Saturday that North Korea fired more than 10 ballistic missiles towards the sea off the country's east coast. The missiles were launched from an area near the capital Pyongyang around 1:20 p.m. local time and flew about 350 kilometers, Seoul said.

Last week, North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said U.S.-South Korea military drills were a "provocative and aggressive war rehearsal" that would harm regional stability. South Korea and Washington say the drills are purely defensive, and aimed at testing readiness against military threats from North Korea.

On Sunday, North Korea said it would frequently conduct such regular drills for checking the DPRK's war deterrence.

North Korea has test-launched a wide range of ballistic and cruise missiles for more than two decades in a push to develop the means to deliver nuclear weapons, which it is believed to have successfully built.

As a result, Pyongyang has been under multiple U.N. Security Council sanctions since 2006 but it remains defiant, despite severe obstacles they created to its trade, economy and defence.

On Thursday, South Korea's Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss ways to reopen dialogue with the North. Trump is eager for any opportunity to sit down with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, South Korea's Kim told reporters.

‘Committed to peace, stability’: Modi speaks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian amid West Asia tensions

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the escalating tensions in West Asia. Taking to X, the Prime Minister reiterated India's commitment to peace and stability in the region.

“Had a conversation with Iranian President, Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the serious situation in the region. Expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure,” Modi wrote on X.

“The safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India’s top priorities. Reiterated India’s commitment to peace and stability and urged for dialogue and diplomacy,” he added further.

Earlier on Thursday, Modi stated that India will be taking steps to safeguard its energy security in view of the global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.

Addressing the NXT Summit 2026 in Delhi on Thursday, Modi said that his government has worked in a holistic manner to make India “self-reliant” in energy sector which, he said, is resulting in huge savings.

“Before 2014, India had negligible storage capacity for strategic petroleum reserve; now, we have significant reserves,” said Modi, adding that government will ensure that its citizens do not face any shortages due to the ongoing conflict.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader says attacks on Gulf Arab neighbours will continue

TEHRAN, Mar 12: Iran’s new Supreme Leader ordered the vital Strait of Hormuz oil shipping lane to remain closed, while U.S. President Donald Trump said stopping the Islamic republic’s “evil empire” was more important than crude prices.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was reportedly injured in an air strike, has yet to appear publicly since his nomination last Sunday as Supreme Leader, and his defiant message was read by a newscaster on state television on Thursday.

“The lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely be used,” Khamenei, adding “a limited amount of” Iran’s revenge for U.S. and Israeli strikes had “taken concrete form, but until it is fully achieved, this case will remain among our priorities.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei asked the countries of the region to clarify their stance regarding the aggressors against Iran.

“The countries of the region must clarify their stance regarding the aggressors against our dear homeland and the killers of our people. I recommend that they shut down those bases as soon as possible, for they must surely have realised by now that America’s claim of establishing security and peace has been nothing but a lie,” he said.

“The enemy has gradually established bases in some neighbouring countries over the years. In the recent offensive, some of those military bases were put to use, which naturally we have targeted with attacks—precisely as we had issued explicit warnings, and without making any encroachment on those countries themselves—solely striking those bases,” he added.

“We will exact reparations from the enemy, and if it refuses, we will seize from its assets as much as we deem necessary; and if that too proves impossible, we will destroy an equivalent portion of its assets,” he warned.

Reports of Iran allowing Indian ships through Strait of Hormuz ‘premature’: Centre

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: The External Affairs Ministry on Thursday (March 12, 2026) said it is rather “premature” to discuss reports about India receiving permission for ships to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

“External Affairs Minister and Foreign Minister of Iran have had three conversations in the last few days. The last one discussed issues pertaining to safety of shipping and India’s energy security. Beyond that, it would be premature for me to say anything,” said Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry.

India condemns attack on Gujarat-bound ship in Strait of Hormuz

NEW DELHI, Mar 11: The ministry of external affairs on Wednesday evening condemned the attack on Thai ship, Mayuree Naree, which was bound for Gujarat's Kandla, in the Strait of Hormuz, saying that "India deplores" the targeting of commercial ships in the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The Thai-flagged bulk carrier was reportedly struck by "two projectiles of unknown origin" while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a fire, and damaging the engine room, the ship's Thai-listed operator, Precious Shipping, said in a statement.

"Three crew members are reported missing and believed to be trapped in the engine room," Precious Shipping was quoted as saying.

Later, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that they struck Mayuree Naree with Iranian projectiles. They confirmed that the Guard Corps fired at the Thai-flagged bulk vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

The MEA said in a statement, "India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict, and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seems to be increasing.

The ministry reiterated that targeting commercial ships and endangering the lives of civilian crew members should be avoided.

The ship had departed Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates and was transiting the narrow ship corridor, also the world's biggest oil chokepoint, when it was hit by the projectile.

The Royal Thai Navy said that heavy smoke was seen billowing from the vessel's hull and superstructure after the attack.

Mayuree Naree is a 178-metre bulk carrier with a displacement of about 30,000 tonnes.

Officials said 20 crew members had been rescued, while search efforts were continuing for three missing. The rescued crew members were pulled from the water after abandoning the vessel.

‘Fractured foot, bruised eye’: Mojtaba Khamenei was injured on Day 1 of US-Iran war

NEW YORK, Mar 11: Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly sustained injuries during the first day of strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by CNN.

Reportedly, Khamenei suffered a fractured foot, along with several minor injuries. These included a bruise around his left eye and small cuts on his face.

The reported injuries come amid growing speculation about the new leader’s condition. An Israeli source had earlier told CNN that Khamenei was injured during an assassination attempt last week, a claim that has fuelled rumours circulating for several days.

However, there has been no official confirmation from Iranian authorities regarding the nature of the incident or the extent of the injuries.

Mojtaba, 56, was named as Iran's Supreme Leader on March 8, over a week after his father's killing who ruled the country with an iron fist for almost 37 years. Iran's new Supreme Leader is reportedly strongly involved with the the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which is one one of Iran's most powerful military and economic organisation. The IRGC has pledged full obedience to Mojtaba who is yet to speak publicly since being elected.

Israel 'not looking for endless war' while US renews threat to Iran

TEL AVIV, Mar 10: With the conflict in West Asia now in its second week, Iran and US-Israel continued relentless strikes in the region. While there has been no concrete steps towards resolution yet, Israel's foreign minister said in a big indication that they were not looking for an “endless war”, and US President Donald Trump said it would be a “short-term excursion.”

Trump threatened to strike Iran “20 times harder” if they attempted to stop oil passage through Strait of Hormuz, Tehran responded that it would either be “strait of peace” or “strait of suffering.”

Israel continued to pound Iran and Lebanon, with Tehran retaliating by striking Gulf nations. The death toll in Iran has climbed above 1,200, while 486 people have been killed in Lebanon.

Israel struck Hezbollah infrastructure south of Beirut, a day after its attacks hit Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to reports. Strikes were reported in Lebanon's southern city of Tyre, state media reported.

At least two people were killed in United Arab Emirates Tuesday, as nine drones hit the country. The country intercepted eight missiles and 26 drones, its defence ministry said. Abu Dhabi was also targeted, as a drone strike caused fire in an industrial zone.

Heavy aerial bombardments hit eastern Tehran, killing at least 40 people in residential buildings, Al Jazeera reported. The attacks left people trapped in a residential building in the capital, with rescue teams racing to save them.

While Trump issued warnings, Iranian security official Ali Larijani said that these were “empty threats.” “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats. Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself,” Larijani said.

Israel foreign minister Gideon Saar, meanwhile, said on Tuesday that they are not seeking an endless war with Iran and would coordinate with the US on when to end the conflict. “We will consult with our American friends when we will think it is the right time to do that. We are not looking for an endless war,” reports cited Saar as saying.

Gulf nations, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, reported intercepting Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said the country had downed a drone east of al-Kharj governorate, another fell on a residential area in Riyadh, causing “limited material damage."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the offensive against Iran was “not done yet”. “Our aspiration is to bring the Iranian people to cast off the yoke of tyranny; ultimately, it depends on them. But there is no doubt that with the actions taken so far, we are breaking their bones,” Netanyahu added.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Tuesday “will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran.” Hegseth had earlier said that in the last 24 hours, Iran had fired "the lowest amount of missiles they have fired yet."

Bahrain was attacked with three missiles and a drone, authorities said, with one hitting a residential building in Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight others, according to a report.

Amid concerns over oil prices and movement, G7 nations discussed releasing oil stocks to bring down prices between their energy ministers. France, which currently holds the G7’s rotating presidency, wants “to advance on that question, with one objective, which is to bring down prices,” government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told broadcaster France Televisions.

Putin, Trump Hold Phone Call, Discuss Iran And Ukraine Wars

MOSCOW, Mar 9: Russia's President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on Monday discussed the Iran war and Ukraine conflict during a "frank and constructive" telephone call, the Kremlin said.

Putin and Trump held a one-hour call in their first talks since December and Washington sought the discussion, Putin's diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

"The accent was placed on the situation surrounding the conflict with Iran and the bilateral negotiations underway with the representatives of the United States on settling the Ukrainian question," Ushakov said.

Ushakov said Putin called for a "quick political and diplomatic settlement" to the US-Israeli war against Iran, which has been a key ally for Russia.

The Russian leader also gave Trump "a description of the current situation on the line of contact where Russian troops are progressing with a lot of success", he added, referring to the Ukraine war.

Putin "positively evaluated the mediation efforts undertaken" by Trump in the Ukraine conflict, the advisor said. A series of talks have been held between Russian and US officials and between Russian, US and Ukrainian officials, but with no breakthrough in efforts to reach a ceasefire.

Ushakov said Washington had wanted to "discuss a series of extremely important questions linked to the current international situation".

"The conversation was serious and constructive," he added.

Trump and Putin held a summit in Alaska in August last year.

Balen Shah's RSP Sweeps Nepal Polls, Winning 125 Of 165 Seats

KATHMANDU, Mar 9: As counting of votes concluded in 163 electoral constituencies out of 165 under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system in Nepal's parliamentary elections by Monday evening, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) secured nearly 76 per cent of the seats in the House of Representatives in a sweeping electoral victory.

The three-and-a-half-year-old party, led by its President Rabi Lamichhane and Prime Ministerial candidate Balen Shah, secured victory in 125 seats, as one heavyweight leader after another from traditional political parties - including former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli - fell before the RSP wave sweeping the country.

In one of the remaining seats, Arjun Kumar Karki, a candidate from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), is leading against RSP candidate Mingma Sherpa. There is also a legal dispute over the election in Dhanusa-1 constituency in Madhes province, after the RSP candidate was disqualified by the Election Commission of Nepal for being blacklisted by the Credit Information Bureau of Nepal.

Shah, the former Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, secured victory against Oli with 68,348 votes - the largest vote tally by any candidate in Nepal's parliamentary history - from Jhapa-5 constituency in eastern Nepal, which had long been considered Oli's stronghold.

As the RSP is also leading under the proportional representation electoral system with over 48 per cent of the vote share by Monday evening, and if the trend continues, the party is likely to secure close to a two-thirds majority - around 184 seats - in the 275-member House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament.

No single political party since the 1991 elections has secured a two-thirds majority in the lower house. When two communist forces - the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and the erstwhile Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) - forged an electoral alliance for the 2017 parliamentary elections, they secured close to a two-thirds majority.

After the two parties briefly merged in 2018 to form the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), the unified communist government enjoyed near two-thirds strength before the alliance collapsed due to personality clashes between the then co-chairpersons - K P Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as 'Prachanda'.

Earlier, in Nepal's first democratic elections in 1959, the Nepali Congress secured a two-thirds majority by winning 74 out of 109 seats. However, an RSP victory with potentially two-thirds of the seats would be even more remarkable because it is difficult to secure even a simple majority when 40 percent of the seats in the House are filled through the proportional representation system. The RSP appears to have achieved that difficult feat. People's verdict appears clear.

Iran picks Mojtaba Khamenei as new leader

TEHRAN, Mar 9: Iran’s Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body, announced on Sunday night that it had chosen Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader who was assassinated by a joint American-Israeli strike on February 28, as the country’s new leader.

The 57-year-old cleric will be the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the republic, and Ali Khamenei, who held the position for 37 years. Though Iran has an elected President, the Supreme Leader is the head of the state and the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces, making him the most powerful authority in the system.

“By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Assembly said in a statement.

Israel bombs Tehran oil depot in escalating Iran war, Netanyahu warns of ‘many surprises’

TEHRAN, Mar 8: The Iran war exploded further late on Saturday as pillars of flame rose above an oil storage facility in Tehran, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised "many surprises" for the next phase of the week-old conflict.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he has ruled out having Kurds join the Iran war. Trump said Kurdish fighters in the region are willing to assist in efforts to topple the Iranian government, but their involvement would make the conflict more complicated.

"The war is complicated enough without having -- getting the Kurds involved," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Iranian state media confirmed the strike on the oil facility as a video showed the horizon glowing against the night sky. Israel's military confirmed new strikes that shook neighbourhoods in Tehran's east and south but did not comment on targets.

It appeared to be the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war. State media blamed "an attack from the US and the Zionist regime" at the facility that supplies the capital and neighbouring provinces in the north.

Earlier in the day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised for attacks on "neighbouring countries", even as his country's missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states and hard-liners asserted that Tehran's war strategy would not change.

A rift between more pragmatic politicians looking to de-escalate the war and others committed to battling the United States and Israel could complicate any diplomatic efforts. Conflicting statements emerged from two of the three members of the leadership council overseeing Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the war's opening airstrikes.

Trump threatened that Iran would be "hit very hard" and more "areas and groups of people" would become targets, without elaborating. Already, the conflict has rattled global markets and left Iran's leadership weakened by hundreds of Israeli and American airstrikes.

Along with his apology, Pezeshkian dismissed Trump's call for Tehran to surrender unconditionally, saying: "That is a dream that they should take to their grave."

Iran makes varying statements on attacks

Pezeshkian's message, seemingly filmed in a hurry, underlined the limited powers exercised by the theocracy's leaders over the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls the hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israel and other countries. It answered only to Khamenei and appears to be picking its own targets.

Pezeshkian's statement said Iran's leadership council had been in touch with the armed forces and "from now on, they should not attack neighbouring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy".

The US strikes have not come from the Gulf Arab governments under attack, but from US bases and vessels in the region.

But hard-line judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, another member of the three-man leadership council, suggested that war strategy will not change.

"The geography of some countries in the region -- both overtly and covertly -- is in the hands of the enemy, and those points are used against our country in acts of aggression. Intense attacks on these targets will continue," he posted on X.

"As long as the presence of US bases in the region continue, the countries will not enjoy peace," Iran's Parliament speaker and a former Revolutionary Guard general, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on X. He called defence policies in line with the late supreme leader's guidance.

Iran continues attacks after president's apology to Gulf, while Israel signals more Lebanon strikes

DUBAI, Mar 7: Qatar and the UAE have reported being attacked by missiles and drones, while Saudi Arabia says a missile was launched towards a military base

This comes after Iran's president offered an apology to neighbouring states and said Tehran would not attack them "unless attacked first"

Israel has warned residents in the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate as it targets the Iran-backed Hezbollah group

Meanwhile, it is learnt that UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been placed on advanced readiness

Earlier, President Trump said his military forces had "knocked out 42 Iranian navy ships" in three days, adding that the US was doing "very well" in Iran

Israel warns of intensifying offensive in Iran

The Israeli military said that its strikes overnight targeted what it called “regime infrastructure” in Tehran. It says it has also been attacking “Hezbollah infrastructure” in the armed group’s strongholds in Beirut.

Israel’s military is stressing what it says is its “synchronised action” and “truly historic co-operation” with US forces in Iran.

The IDF chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, said that the initial “surprise strike phase” had involved establishing “air superiority” and attacking ballistic missile sites. He said there would be “additional surprises” in the next phase to “further dismantle the regime".

Overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out their 14th wave of strikes on Iran since Saturday, with heavy bombing reported in Tehran and other cities. On Thursday, sirens warning of Iranian missiles went off repeatedly in Israel with one apparent use of a cluster warhead – although no injuries were reported.

In Lebanon, there were more explosions in southern Beirut overnight, after Israel’s military gave warnings for people to leave entire neighbourhoods – causing scenes of panic.

Rapper-politician Balendra Shah set to be Nepal's next prime minister

KATHMANDU, Mar 7: Rapper Balendra Shah has defeated the former Nepalese Prime Minister Sharma KP Oli in the country's general election.

Nepal's Election Commission confirmed on Saturday that Shah, 35, received 68,348 votes compared to Oli's 18,734 to unseat the former leader in his parliamentary constituency.

Thursday's general election - the first since violent youth-led protests toppled the government in September - pitted the establishment against a new generation of politicians advocating for angry, young Gen Z voters hungry for change.

Shah, who resigned as Kathmandu's mayor in January to take Oli on in his constituency, is set to become Nepal's prime minister after his RSP party won the general election.

As of 6 p.m. (NPT), the RSP has won 59 seats and is leading in 62 out of 165 constituencies.

The Nepali Congress is trailing far behind, with nine wins and leading in an equal number of constituencies. Similarly, Mr. Oli’s UML has won three seats and is leading in nine constituencies.

Under the proportional representation system, the RSP is far ahead with 256,680 votes (53%), while the Nepali Congress lags at 79,420 votes (16.59%) out of 478,834 votes counted so far. The UML has secured 63,003 votes (13%)

50 Israeli Fighter Jets, With Mossad Help, Rain Hellfire On Tehran Bunkers

TEL AVIV, Mar 6: Israeli fighter jets carried out a major strike in the heart of Tehran early on Friday, targeting an underground bunker built beneath the leadership compound of Iran's supreme leader. The Israeli Air Force said approximately 50 jets took part in the operation, guided by precise intelligence from Israel's Military Intelligence and coordinated with Mossad. The target was the underground bunker constructed for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Israeli military described the bunker as serving as "a secure emergency asset" intended for Khamenei to manage fighting during a conflict. It was never used by Khamenei because he had already been eliminated in earlier strikes during Operation "Roaring Lion". After his death, the compound continued to be used by other senior officials of the Iranian regime.

According to the Israeli Air Force, the regime had spent years developing the underground site with the aim of creating a base to advance its military plans and to promote what Israel called its extremist and brutal ideology directed against Israel and the Western world.

"The underground bunker sprawled across entire streets in the heart of Tehran and included multiple entry points and rooms for gatherings of the senior officials of the Iranian terror regime," the Israeli Air Force said in a statement.

The strike followed extensive intelligence gathering and prolonged research by Israel's Military Intelligence. The leadership compound itself served as the central and most important headquarters of the Iranian regime. The Israeli military said the destruction of the bunker has further damaged the regime's command and control capabilities.

'Military conflict can't fix any issue': Modi

NEW DELHI, Mar 5: India believes in rule of law, dialogue and diplomacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, adding that military conflict is not the resolution to any issue. Modi's remarks come amid the deadly US-Iran conflict which has affected majority of West Asia.

Modi made the statement at a joint presser with the President of Finland.

“India and Finland believe in rule of law, dialogue and diplomacy. Only military conflict cannot solve any issue, whether it is Ukraine or West Asia. We are both convinced that global institutions need urgent reform,” Modi said.

The intense missile and drone exchange that has shaken the entire Middle East region was triggered by the US-Israel strikes on Iran that led to the death of Khamenei last weekend.

The two leaders said that the world at present is going through a period of instability and uncertainty.

“Conflict persists in many parts of the world, from Ukraine to West Asia. In such a global environment, India and Europe, two of the world's major diplomatic powers, are entering a golden era of their relationship,” he said.

Our growing cooperation is giving new strength to global stability, development, and shared prosperity, Modi said.

He highlighted that the historic India-European Union Free Trade Agreement was recently signed, saying that the deal will further strengthen trade, investment, and technology cooperation between India and Finland.

India and Finland are important partners in areas such as digital technology, infrastructure, and sustainability..."

India Condoles Khamenei's Death, Foreign Secretary Meets Iran Ambassador

NEW DELHI, Mar 5: India has sent its condolences to Iran on the death of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met the Iran ambassador in Delhi today and signed the condolence book for Khamenei's death -- which took place on Sunday, hours after the US-Israel air strikes in Tehran.

It also comes shortly after Iran declared that it would open the Strait of Hormuz to all ships except those of the US, Israel and the European Union.

Foreign minister S Jaishankar, in a post on X, said he had a "telecon" with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi this afternoon.

The move signs a subtle shift in the position of New Delhi, which had not condemned the airstrikes in which Khamenei died and maintained a studied silence in face of vehement Opposition demands for a formal statement.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and signed the condolence book, on behalf of the people and the Government of India, on the demise of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi later expressed his concern about the situation in the middle-east. "India has always called for dialogue and diplomacy to find a solution to such disputes," he said.

New Delhi's reaction has been in line with that of most global powers, none of which had issued condolences for Khamenei's killing - the only key nations to do so have been Russia and China.

Iran fires its biggest retaliatory barrage on Qatar as Israel launches fresh strikes on Tehran

TEHRAN, Mar 5: The Iran war continued into its sixth day with another round of strikes by Israel and Iran. Meanwhile, hundreds of ships have been stranded due to Tehran's threats to strike vessels in the Straight of Hormuz, affecting up to 20% of global oil trade.

Israel has continued its strikes on Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, striking targets in Tehran, a military facility in Qom and air defences in Isfahan.

Iran fired another salvo of missiles at Israel, with the sound of sirens in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

In the US, lawmakers voted against curbing US President Donald Trump's options in continuing the strikes on Iran, effectively allowing the intervention to continue at full force.

US destroys Iran's warship near Sri Lanka, at least 87 dead

COLOMBO, Mar 4: An Iranian naval vessel was sunk off the coast of Sri Lanka by a US submarine or torpedo on Wednesday, prompting a rescue operation by Sri Lankan forces. Sri Lankan authorities said bodies of 87 sailors had been recovered from the warship, adding that search was still underway for those missing. 32 people who were on board the ship have been rescued.

The vessel was identified as IRIS Dena, according to Sri Lankan foreign minister Vijitha Herath, who informed parliament about the incident. Officials said the navy received a distress call from the Iranian ship and launched a search and rescue operation with the support of the Sri Lankan air force in the Indian Ocean off the island’s coast.

US Defense Secretary confirmed that the Iranian ship had been sunk by a torpedo, calling it “quiet death.” “An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international water….Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death,” Hegseth said at the Pentagon.

Sri Lankan minister Herath said there were 180 people on board the ship, with the bodies of 87 deceased recovered, and 32 of them rescued. Around 60 others are still missing.

Sri Lankan Navy boats reached the location of the sinking, which was outside Sri Lankan waters, and observed only an oil slick, spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said.

The vessel had allegedly taken part earlier in a naval drill hosted by India. The website of the 'Milan' multilateral naval exercise listed an Iranian ship named 'IRINS Dena' as having taken part in the drill, held in the Bay of Bengal.

US Defense Secretary Hegseth said this was the first US sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo “since World War 2”.

White House confirms Iran's top submarine among 20 ships hit; Tehran says 1,000+ dead

WASHINGTON, Mar 4: US press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday confirmed that the US destroyed 20 Iranian ships, including its top submarine, in the ongoing strikes. “We have destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships so far, including their top submarine last night,” Leavitt said while briefing the media.

Meanwhile, over 1,045 people have been killed so far in the US-Israel air strikes that began last Saturday, Al Jazeera reported citing Iranian state media.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday told the head of neighbouring Gulf nations that Iran wanted to resort to diplomacy to avoid war, but the ‘American-Zionist military aggression’ left no choice but to defend itself.

“We respect your sovereignty, and we believe that the security and stability of the region must be achieved through the collective efforts of its states,” he said in a statement.

Loud Explosions Heard Across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha As Iran Continues Retaliation

DUBAI, Mar 3: UAE defence ministry spokesperson highlighted the barrage of Iranian strikes on Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other parts of the country. 186 missiles were launched against the UAE, of which 172 were destroyed. 812 drones were monitored, and 755 of them were intercepted.

As the Middle East conflict triggered by the US-Israel strikes on Iran and intensified by the latter's retaliation entered the fourth day on Tuesday, travellers left stranded began departing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a limited number of evacuation flights on Monday, while most commercial air travel throughout the region remained grounded.

The small wave of departures from Dubai and Abu Dhabi came as the US State Department advised Americans in 13 countries - including UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Oman - to "depart now via commercial means due to serious safety risks." However, sweeping airspace shutdowns and widespread cancellations sharply reduced the ability of many to follow that guidance.

-Israeli and American airstrikes battered Iran as the campaign intensified, with US President Donald Trump saying Monday that military operations could continue for several weeks.

-In response, Tehran and allied groups launched counterattacks throughout the region, targeting Israel and multiple sites in Gulf nations, including energy infrastructure in Qatar and the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

-The scale of the bombardment, the reported killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the absence of a clear path to de-escalation signalled the potential for a drawn-out conflict with sweeping regional and global repercussions.

-Locations long viewed as secure in the Middle East, such as Dubai, have come under fire; oil and gas prices surged; and American partners vowed to assist in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones.

Israel Opens Lebanese Front, Destroys 70 Hezbollah Sites

TEL AVIV, Mar 3: Following Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israel after the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Israel has launched a major offensive on the Lebanese front.

The Israel Defense Forces says it has destroyed more than 70 Hezbollah ammunition storage facilities, struck command centres and weapons depots, and eliminated the group’s intelligence chief.

Lebanon’s government claims at least 52 people have been killed in the strikes.

Lebanese PM bans Hezbollah’s military activities after attack on Israel

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says Hezbollah’s military and security activities are banned, hours after Israel responded to the Iran-linked group’s rocket and drone attack by launching air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

“We announce a ban on Hezbollah’s military activities and restrict its role to the political sphere,” Salam said on Monday in a statement.

“We declare our rejection of any military or security operations launched from Lebanese territory outside the framework of legitimate institutions.”

The prime minister said all Hezbollah military activities are “illegal” and called upon the security forces to “prevent any attacks originating from Lebanese territory”.

“We declare our commitment to the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of negotiations,” he added.

The Iran-allied Lebanese armed group said earlier on Monday that its attack on a military missile defence facility near Haifa was in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, “in defence of Lebanon and its people”, and “in response to the repeated Israeli aggressions”.

Israel responded by bombing Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon and killing more than 30 people and injuring 149, according to the state-run National News Agency.

In a statement on Monday, the Israeli army said an overnight strike in Beirut had killed Hussein Makled, described as the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters.

It accused Makled of being responsible for compiling intelligence assessments on Israeli forces and coordinating with senior Hezbollah commanders to plan attacks against Israel and said operations against the group would continue.

Later on Monday, Hezbollah said the ban was not justified.

“We understand the Lebanese government’s impotence in the face of the brutal Zionist enemy, which violates national sovereignty, occupies land, and poses a continuous threat to the country’s security and stability,” Hezbollah said, adding that it is the government’s right “to decide on war and peace”.

“However, given this clear weakness and deficiency, we see no justification for Prime Minister Salam and his government to take such aggressive measures against the Lebanese who reject the occupation,” it said.

Hezbollah, which operates independently from the Lebanese government, has been weakened by a 2024 war, which saw Israel kill most of the group’s military and political leaders.

Under growing pressure from the United States and Israel, Lebanese authorities agreed to disarm Hezbollah, which dismissed the plan as a US-Israeli ploy and refused to surrender its weapons north of the Litani River. The group maintained that a ceasefire signed in November 2024 applied to disarmament exclusively south of the waterway.

Last month, the Lebanese government said its military would need at least four months to complete the second phase of its plan to dismantle Hezbollah’s arsenals in the country’s south. The second phase concerns the area between the Litani and the Awali rivers, about 40km (25 miles) south of Beirut.

It announced in January that it had completed the first phase of its five-stage plan, covering the area between the Litani and the southern border with Israel.

The military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah could deepen the crisis in Lebanon, which has been suffering from economic and political woes for years.

Salam called the Hezbollah attack “an irresponsible and suspicious act that jeopardises Lebanon’s security and safety and provides Israel with pretexts to continue its aggression”.

The Israeli army also ordered residents to leave 18 villages and towns, claiming they were being used by Hezbollah.

Iran President Names Guards General Majid Ebnelreza As Acting Defence Minister

TEHRAN, Mar 2: Iran's president appointed on Monday Revolutionary Guards general Majid Ebnelreza as acting defence minister after his predecessor was killed in Israeli-US strikes.

"By order of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Revolutionary Guards general Majid Ebnelreza has been appointed as acting defence minister," said deputy for presidential communications Mehdi Tabatabaei in a post on X.

Return to your senses, your war is not with neighbours, UAE President warns Iran

DUBAI, Mar 1: United Arab Emirates (UAE) President, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, slammed Iran for targeting several parts of the country with its missiles. Taking a sharp jibe, the President asked Iran to act with sense as the country is not at war with its neighbouring states like the UAE.

“The Iranian aggression against the Gulf states was a miscalculation, and it isolated Iran at a critical juncture. Your war is not with your neighbours,” said Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor of the UAE President. Return to reason, to your surroundings, and deal with your neighbours rationally and responsibly before the circle of isolation and escalation widens," he further added.

The staunch remarks by the UAE came after Iran targeted several provinces of the United Arab Emirates in retaliatory measures against the combined military action of the US and Israel, which killed the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khameini. On Saturday, Iranian missiles hit the Al-Dharfa US Base in the Southern part of Abu Dhabi. Apart from Al Dharfa, several other parts of Abu Dhabi were also shaken by the Iranian missiles on the same day.

Later, Dubai, a major global commercial hub that does not host a US base, was attacked, prompting the closure of its airspace and widespread disruption across the Gulf region. The city witnessed five major blasts, and the Dubai International Airport sustained damage, resulting in disruptions in flight operations. Four people were also injured in the attacks.

As Iran continued its retaliatory attacks overnight, the landmark Burj Al Arab hotel sustained severe damage. Opened in 1999 on an artificial island off Jumeirah Beach, the sail-shaped tower quickly became an emblem of a city intent on projecting luxury on a global scale. On Saturday, a fire broke out near another hotel on the city's artificially made Palm Jumeirah Island, as reported by news agency Reuters.

Not only the UAE, but also several other Gulf nations witnessed explosions due to the Iranian missile launch. On Sunday, loud blasts were heard in Dubai and the Qatari capital Doha. Oman was also hit for the first time as retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states in response to US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic widened.

Gargash further said that these attacks have isolated Iran from the Gulf neighbours.

Fresh blasts rock Dubai, Abu Dhabi; UAE govt comes to aid of stranded visitors

DUBAI, Mar 1: Fresh explosions were heard across Gulf cities, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama on Sunday evening, with Iran continuing with its retaliatory strikes after the death of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Journalists heard several blasts in Dubai, whereas in Abu Dhabi too, residents heard loud bangs. Sirens sounded in Manama, where an explosion was also heard, while a journalist in Qatari capital Doha heard a blast faintly.

UAE's major economic hub Dubai came under attack after Iran responded to US and Israel's joint strikes by targeting US facilities in the region with explosions and drone interceptions being reported across Dubai on Saturday. Iran fired 137 missiles and 209 drones at targets across the UAE.

Dubai International Airport, which is one of the world's most busiest aviation hubs, suffered partial damage due to a suspected aerial strike on one of its main terminal buildings. Confirming the incident, the airport authorities said that one concourse at Dubai International “sustained minor damage in an incident, which was quickly contained". Four employees also sustained injuries in the incident.

One person was killed at the Abu Dhabi airport and seven wounded during what authorities called an “incident”.

Kuwait’s civil aviation authority also said that a drone hit the its airport in which some people suffered minor injuries while the passenger building suffered “limited” damages.

The UAE defence ministry said fires and smoke were seen at seen at landmarks such as The Palm seafront development and Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.

Loud explosions were also heard along with plumes of smoke rising near Dubai's famed man-made island, The Palm, with authorities reporting four injured. According to one of the witnesses, he saw thick black smoke rising from a hotel on the Palm and heard ambulances rushing towards the scene.

The Dubai media office later confirmed an "incident" in a building in the Palm Jumeirah area that resulted in a fire and four people were injured. “Dubai Civil Defence has confirmed that the resulting fire is now under control. Four individuals sustained injuries and have been transferred to medical facilities,” it said.

Several Indians are stuck amid the ongoing conflict in Middle East.

Meanwhile, union minister Pralhad Joshi Sunday said the Centre was making continuous efforts to ensure the safe return of Indians stranded, calling the situation “volatile”. However, Joshi said that the situation right now is “turbulent”, adding “that even flying a plane there is dangerous.”

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni, Defence minister and Chief of army staff killed in US-Israel air strikes

TEHRAN, Mar 1: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israel airstrikes, Iranian state media confirmed earlier Sunday. His death occurred after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and government sites. A 40-day state mourning has been declared in Iran.

Iran’s chief of army staff and defense minister also killed in an airstrike targeting a meeting of the country’s defense council as reported by Iranian state television. General Abdol Rahim Mousavi and Defense Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh were killed at the meeting alongside the head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and security adviser Ali Shamkhani. The Iranian state media announced the deaths of military leaders today. Iranian state media reported at least 201 dead and more than 700 injured. Reports suggest that around 40 Iranian officials were also killed in the strikes.

In response, Iran launched attacks across West Asia. Apparent Iranian strikes have been reported in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait, places with US military bases or that are allied to the US. US President Donald Trump, in a social media post, said Khamenei’s death is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country. The US President added that heavy and pinpoint bombing will continue through the week or longer. Tensions have soared in recent weeks as American warships moved into the region amid stalled nuclear talks.

Ayatollah Alireza Arafi Named Iran’s Interim Supreme Leader

TEHRAN, Mar 1: Iran has named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as the interim Supreme Leader following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran, according to the state-linked ISNA news agency. The move comes under Article 111 of Iran’s Constitution, triggering a temporary leadership council to oversee the nation until a permanent successor is selected.

Ayatollah Alireza Arafi joins President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i to form a three-member council now exercising the Supreme Leader’s authority. As the sole cleric in this trio, Arafi assumes the senior position in a system traditionally headed by a religious leader. Together, they manage political, religious, and military oversight amid a period of unprecedented instability in Iran.

Born in 1959, 67-year-old Arafi is a senior figure in Iran’s clerical establishment. He currently leads the country’s Islamic seminaries, serves on the Guardian Council, and sits in the Assembly of Experts. His experience positions him as a central figure during the transitional leadership period, providing continuity in Iran’s religious and constitutional framework.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also announced a leadership change following the death of commander-in-chief Mohammad Pakpour in the same strikes. Ahmad Vahidi has been appointed as the new IRGC chief. The IRGC remains a powerful institution in Iran, controlling key military, political, and economic functions separate from the conventional armed forces.

The assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, 86, marked a turning point, targeting military and government sites, including the offices of Defence Minister Amir Naserzadeh. International reactions came swiftly, with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirming the strike. Iran initially denied the news but officially confirmed Khamenei’s death the following morning, plunging the country into a period of uncertainty over both external threats and internal leadership succession.

Iran Raises Red Flag Over Mosque After Khamenei Killing

In a symbolic gesture signalling retaliation, a red "flag of revenge" was raised over the dome of the Jamkaran Mosque, which is a site of religious significance for Iran. Following the death of their Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the flag was raised to symbolise justice and revenge.

According to several media reports, the red flag atop the mosque in the city of Qom reflects mounting anger and vengeance among supporters of the leader as tensions in the Middle East escalate.